VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNM #1064/01 2361210
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241210Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3735
INFO RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NIAMEY 001064 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2017 
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS NG
SUBJECT: U.S. AMBASSADOR MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT OF NIGER 
(GON) PRESIDENT - MILITARY COOPERATION 
 
Classified By: Bernadette M. Allen, Ambassador, Reason: 1.4a & d 
 
(U) 1. Summary.  On August 21, Ambassador Allen met for 
approximately 30 minutes with GON President Mamadou Tandja to 
discuss military cooperation issues and other subjects (to be 
reported septel), such as food security, the Millenium 
Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program and the 
imminent sports caravan to promote tolerance under the theme 
"One Family, One Niger." Embassy Defense Attache (DATT) 
accompanied Ambassador to the meeting.  The GON President 
emphasized that demining training is his number one priority. 
 End summary. 
 
(C) 2. Ambassador opened the meeting by expressing 
condolences to President Tandja for the loss of lives in the 
Agadez region caused by the ongoing insecurity in nothern 
Niger.  Ambassador introduced the Embassy's new DATT and 
reminded the President that the USG remained interested in 
meeting with senior GON leadership (civilian and military) to 
discuss military and security cooperation activities. 
Ambassador noted the Embassy was still waiting for the GON to 
provide a date to hold a meeting on long-term military 
cooperation plans, stated that we have a draft proposal ready 
for discussion and that we would like to learn the specific 
interests of the GON.  Embassy recommended a launch of the 
discussion be held at the senior level, to include the 
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense, Minister of 
Interior and the Ambassador, with the DATT to present the 
USG's proposed FY08 schedule of activities.  We proposed that 
a working group (WG) be established, with the Embassy DATT to 
serve as the lead Embassy representative, to meet regularly 
and coordinate cooperation activities, composed of 
representatives from each of the relevant ministries.  We 
also asked the GON to draw up its list of proposed 
activities, so that both sides could identify programs of 
mutual interest, as well as other areas for negotiation. 
Ambassador stated she had hoped an initial meeting could be 
scheduled before her imminent in-country travel to support 
the sports caravan and tolerance campaign, but acknowledged 
that Foreign Minister (FM) Mindaoudou was not in country. 
Tandja then confirmed with his Chief of Staff that the FM 
would return to Niger the next day (August 21) and instructed 
the Acting FM (the new Minister of Justice, Dr. Mamadou 
DAGRA)  to inform the FM upon her return that he wanted the 
suggested initial meeting to occur soon, preferably on 
Thursday (August 23).  (Note: Ambassador's Protocol Assistant 
received a call at close of business Wednesday, August 22, 
from FM's Protocol Officer stating that FM hoped to phone the 
Ambassador the next day.  Actual call came from Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs Secretary General (SG) Dan Maradi and, in 
light of Ambassador's imminent travel, it was decided that 
the working level would begin meeting the week of August 27, 
to be followed by a senior level meeting on the morning of 
September 5.  SG stated that Minister of Interior Albade 
Adouba's border security meetings in Mali had not made it 
possible to hold the senior level meeting we had requested 
for Thursday, August 23, with the Defense, Foreign Affairs 
and Interior Ministers.  We agreed that Secretaries General 
could meet in the place of any absent Ministers from the 
three Ministries in question for the senior level meeting in 
September, to avoid further postponement of the senior level 
meeting.  End note.) 
 
(C) 3.  Ambassador then raised the subject of the adverse 
economic consequences that the ongoing insecurity is having 
on the Agadez region, particularly the great loss in tourism 
dollars.  She added that it was too bad that in Niger, as a 
democratic nation, there has been no use of democratic 
instruments to end the violence, such as dialogue.  Tandja 
responded it is difficult to deal with bandits and criminals, 
that civilians may inadvertently get injured or killed by 
some of the "illegal" land mines buried in various locations 
in the Agadez region.  Ambassador then noted that the Embassy 
had requested demining training, that the USG had military 
personnel ready to begin training, but reprogramming funds to 
cover demining training for Niger couldn't be taken up until 
Congress returns from summer recess. Tandja responded that 
the demining training is his number one priority and repeated 
his desire for assistance from the United States.  He 
expressed belief that the people setting the mines were the 
same as the drug traffickers.  General Mai Munga, the 
Military Advisor to the President, spoke up to request that 
the military team come now, but the Ambassador reiterated 
that we would have to wait until Washington informed us that 
Congress had approved funding for the training. 
 
(SBU) 4.  Ending the meeting on a light note, Ambassador 
informed the President that she would conduct in-country 
travel to all regions, except Agadez, for the next two weeks 
to support a sports caravan and tolerance campaign, similar 
to what has been conducted in 2006.  Tandja responded that 
the caravan is a good activity and that youth in the areas to 
 
be visited are excited and ready to participate in the sports 
activities again this year.  Ambassador noted that while the 
caravan will not be stopping in Agadez, given the current 
insecurity in the region, girls and boys on the Agadez team 
were invited to travel south to participate in the games 
scheduled for Tahoua.  Two athletes, a girl and a boy, have 
committed to participate in the Tahoua games to ensure that 
Agadez is represented in the activity. 
 
(C) 5.  Embassy will report developments from the meetings 
scheduled to begin the week of August 27 on long-term 
planning of mil-to-mil activities. 
 
 
 
 
 
ALLEN