VZCZCXRO6180
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0044/01 0271649
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271649Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4820
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NIAMEY 000044 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, AND DRL/AE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON SOCI PTER EMIN EAID UN US NG
SUBJECT:  PRES. TANDJA GREETS DIP CORPS; COMMENTS ON TERRORISM, UN 
DISAPPEARANCES, MINING, U.S. ADMINISTRATION 
 
¶1.  On January 13, President Tandja received the annual greeting of 
the diplomatic corps and offered his own remarks in return.  His 
comments, a stocktaking of the past year, covered a wide range of 
subjects, ranging from thanking development partners for their 
assistance, the state of the economy, the mining sector, the recent 
disappearance of UN officials, the newly elected U.S. 
administration, and terrorism and smuggling. 
 
¶2.  The text of President Tandja's remarks is as follows (unofficial 
Embassy translation): 
 
(Begin text) 
 
Address of the President of the Republic in Response to the New Year 
Greetings from the Diplomatic Corps 
 
Honorable Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, 
 
Honorable Heads of Diplomatic and Consular Missions, 
 
Honorable Representatives of International Organizations, 
 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
 
Although it may sound like a ritual, New Year greetings from the 
diplomatic corps remain full of symbols not only for your 
excellencies, distinguished representatives of countries and 
institutions, but also for myself, as we are working together to 
strengthen friendship  and cooperation between our nations.  Allow 
me therefore to avail myself of this unique opportunity to renew my 
availability and gratitude and express my strong desire to further 
consolidate these exemplary and fruitful relations in 2009.  I would 
like to thank the honorable Dean of the Diplomatic Corps for his New 
Year greetings to the people, government, and institutions of the 
Republic and to me, as well as for the wishes of peace, prosperity, 
and continuous progress he expressed to Niger. 
 
I would also like to convey my best wishes of health and happiness 
to you and your respective families, and of progress to the 
countries and institutions you are representing here in Niger.  May 
2009 give us the opportunity to achieve new objectives under 
cooperation programs signed with your respective countries and 
institutions, and to overcome, within the framework of a 
strengthened international solidarity, the numerous challenges 
facing the world today. 
 
Fully mobilized and with a new sense of pride, the people of Niger, 
on its part, are giving a new and founding impetus to national 
construction efforts.  At this crucial moment in history, increased 
support from our bilateral and multilateral partners will certainly 
be a powerful support and acceleration factor in the achievement of 
the major sustainable economic and social development objectives of 
Niger. 
 
The testimony you have just given with regard to facts that have 
characterized this very important development recorded by our 
country, including the major actions carried out by the Government 
and people of Niger last year, is quite edifying.  This is very 
encouraging for us in our vision and the orientation we are giving 
to our efforts.  Indeed, the celebration in total communion of the 
fiftieth anniversary of the Republic gave the entire people of Niger 
the opportunity to pay tribute to the women and men who invested 
their time and energy in the construction of the Republic. 
 
This made it possible to take stock of what has been achieved and be 
convinced of the need to maintain national cohesion and synergy, 
which are indispensable for the implementation of all major projects 
and are crucial for the future of our country.  As the Honorable 
Dean also pointed out, our democracy is steadily maturing and the 
existence of a dynamic civil society is the expression of the 
vitality of democratic life in Niger as well as a diversity of 
opinions that are expressed, which contribute to the national debate 
on national issues. 
 
But, thanks to God, though this confrontation of ideas is necessary 
in every democratic society, it does not disrupt this peaceful 
climate, thanks to the commitment and sense of responsibility of all 
stakeholders, who promptly trusted various consultation frameworks 
that had been adequately put in place.  The economic performance of 
Niger has also been highlighted in your address, Honorable Dean, and 
we will make every effort to further improve it through sound and 
efficient management of resources, due development program 
implementation, and merciless corruption control. 
 
In addition, the benefits of this renewed growth have been 
distributed to all socio-professional groups through increased 
earnings, support to rural communities based on provision of 
agricultural inputs at reduced prices, and various social 
activities, as well as many other initiatives carried out in the 
framework of the Special Program, as you rightly recalled, Honorable 
 
NIAMEY 00000044  002 OF 003 
 
 
Dean. 
 
Our wish is to make the mining sector one of the key leverage points 
of this growth, which we hope will be sustained, sustainable, and 
more equitably shared.  Therefore, resources we expect from this 
sector will be a priority used to develop agriculture, productive 
economic investments, and infrastructure with a view to 
consolidating our economic base.  Accounting in the national budget 
is a bonus related to the signing of the mining agreement for the 
Agadem block with CNODC, a Chinese company, which also translates 
our concerns to ensure a rational and transparent use of such 
resources in perfect harmony with our commitment as signatory of the 
Initiative on the Transparency of Extractive Industries. 
 
On the diplomatic front, our presence on the sub-regional, African, 
and international scene was more remarkable and our positions have 
always been efficiently defended without any conflicts in all 
international forums.  With both its traditional partners and other 
partners with whom relations are being developed, our country will 
continue working to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, based 
on our national aspirations and the vital interests of the nation. 
 
Though the situation of our country may inspire optimism, this does 
not allow us to behave in a self-satisfactory and triumphant way. 
Indeed, we are firmly committed to overcome other challenges and 
continuously work with the international community to find general 
and specific responses to current issues.  Among these challenges 
and concerns, I would like to mention:  population growth and 
climate change phenomenon, the impacts of which we are aware of. 
With regard to the efforts deployed to reduce poverty, build peace 
and security, we remain open to all fellow countrymen who abandon 
unnecessary violence and who undertake to peacefully join the 
Republic. 
 
However, the State will continue to shoulder all its 
responsibilities in the face of those who continue to undermine its 
security and ignore the appeals of the people of Niger.  Allow me to 
say it once again:  these armed bandits are these very terrorist 
groups involved in drug trafficking, arm smuggling, and human 
trafficking.  By resorting exclusively to criminal activities and 
conveying selfish and dividing ideas that may undermine national 
unity, they have disqualified themselves in the eyes of the people 
of Niger, who wish to live in peace, brotherhood, and harmony among 
all groups. 
 
Concerning the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General in Niger 
and his colleagues, as well as their respective families who do not 
have any news about them and hope that they will be soon liberated, 
all investigations indicate that they are held hostage by these 
terrorist groups and their accomplices, as evidenced by their 
unclear statements that show a degree of confusion in the face of 
this irresponsible act. 
 
Among these challenges and concerns, I wish to mention AIDS control 
and other pandemic diseases, although  efforts so far deployed are 
beginning to bear fruit; as well as world food crisis that severely 
hit our populations in all countries and which may persist as long 
as world food production has not sufficiently increased to impact 
the market prices.  As far as we are concerned, our support to rural 
producers will be further increased and the development of ponds and 
basins as well as irrigation in areas with such potential will be 
the top priority. 
 
With regard to the severe energy crisis over the last months that 
has had negative impacts on economic activities; I may say that we 
are already on the right track.  Through the large-scale ongoing 
program as well as the upcoming construction of the Kandadji dam and 
development of Salkadamna coal, adequate and sustainable solutions 
are now within reach. 
 
The global economic crisis and recession that are impacting major 
economic powers worldwide will certainly have impacts on trade as a 
result of economic slowdown, on the one hand, and on assistance 
flows to developing countries, on the other hand.  As a corollary, 
these countries attended the follow-up development financing 
conference held in Doha at the beginning of December 2008 with this 
anxiety in mind.  It is our hope that the appeal launched by the UN 
Secretary General during the high level meeting on the development 
of Africa last September, calling on donors to translate into 
reality the commitments they made in Gleneagles in 2005 and make 
more efforts to double the volume of their assistance to Africa with 
view to bridging the gap in the achievement of the Millennium 
Development Goals by 2015, will be heard. 
 
It is also our hope that the change that has occurred in the United 
States of America will promote new relations in the world, a more 
concerted approach to major issues, and a firmer commitment to peace 
and progress for all nations. 
 
While this prospect raises hope in the entire world, the people of 
 
NIAMEY 00000044  003 OF 003 
 
 
Palestine are once again victim of attacks from the State of Israel, 
which obstinately refuses to implement UN resolutions and support 
the relevant initiatives for comprehensive peace in this region. 
The response of the international community to this basic issue 
might actually give a hint of the possibility of creating this new 
world where justice, peace, and cooperation will have the upper hand 
on war, domination, and underdevelopment.  In any case, we, as 
people in search of better living conditions, are hopeful. 
 
On this note, I wish to reiterate, Honorable Dean of  the diplomatic 
corps, Honorable Heads of Diplomatic and Consular Missions, and Your 
Excellencies the Representatives of International Organizations, my 
best wishes for the year 2009. 
 
I thank you for your kind attention. 
 
(End text) 
 
¶3.  Comment:  President Tandja's remarks touch on several areas of 
interest - although no mention of either local or national elections 
anticipated for 2009 was made: 
 
-- Politically, democracy is seen as continuing its development in 
Niger, with civil society singled out as an important element or 
expression of diverse opinions.  On the part of governance, 
controlling corruption gained mention. 
 
-- Economically, the mining sector is seen as providing shared 
leverage for sustained agricultural development and the construction 
of infrastructure, albeit it in a transparent manner.  President 
Tandja pointed to the Kandadji Dam and the Salkadamna coal project 
as key infrastructure projects designed to help the country realize 
its objectives. 
 
-- Socially, somewhat surprisingly, the President mentioned both 
population growth and climate change as important factors in Niger's 
growth.  Less so were his citing continued efforts to address 
HIV/AIDS and pursue UN Millennium Development Goals. 
 
-- Security-wise, President Tandja referred to the state of 
insecurity in the north as involving "armed bandits" who are 
"terrorist groups involved in drug trafficking, arm smuggling, and 
human trafficking" who carry out "criminal activities" and 
"undermine national unity."  Concerning the Special Envoy of the UN 
Secretary General and his colleagues, President Tandja stated that 
"all investigations indicate that they are held hostage by these 
terrorist groups and their accomplices, as evidenced by their 
unclear statements that show a degree of confusion in the face of 
this irresponsible act." 
 
-- Finally, President Tandja's singling out political change in the 
United States came as a surprise.  In addition to holding the 
possibility of promoting new relations in the world, he welcomed "a 
more concerted approach to major issues, and a firmer commitment to 
peace and progress for all nations" by the United States. 
ALLEN