VZCZCXRO2478
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #1005/01 3560810
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220810Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5532
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1710
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 001005 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/RSA; PLS PASS TO USAID AFR/W 
ACCRA FOR USAID/WA 
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SOCI PHUM NG XY
SUBJECT:  Niger: ECOWAS MEDIATOR AND GON PRIME MINISTER OPEN THE 
INTER-NIGERIEN POLITICAL DIALOGUE 
 
Ref:  a) Niamey 1004    b) Niamey 928 
 
¶1. Summary:  On December 21, Economic Community of West African 
States (ECOWAS) Mediator, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Government of 
Niger (GON) Prime Minister (PM) Ali Badjo Gamatie, co-presided over 
the opening ceremony of the Inter-Nigerien Political Dialogue 
(INPD).  The aim of the INPD is to arrive at a peaceful resolution 
to the current political crisis in the Republic of Niger (RON).  GON 
officials, diplomatic corps ( including the ambassadors of Algeria, 
United States, France, China, Nigeria, European Union), 
international institution senior representatives (e.g., UNOWA, 
UNDP), religious leaders (Muslim and Christian), union and civil 
society leaders, and traditional leaders attended the ceremony. 
Print, radio and television media provided extensive coverage.  The 
four opening ceremony speakers were PM Gamatie, Coordination des 
Forces pour la Democratie et la Republique (CFDR)/Opposition leader 
Amadou Boubacar Cisse, Mouvement Populaire de la Refondations de la 
Republique (MPRR)/GON Head of Delegation Seini Oumarou (Note: former 
PM/current National Assembly President under the Sixth Republic. 
End note.) and ECOWAS Mediator Abdulsalami Abubakar.  The Opposition 
decision to go along with the much disputed GON demand that 
negotiations be held in Niamey (in lieu of Abuja) removed a major 
block to the launch of what Nigeriens hope will develop into 
fruitful negotiations.  End summary. 
 
¶2. PM Gamatie launched the hour-long INPD opening ceremony with 
remarks that there is "no divergence between the Opposition and GON 
on the need for a dialogue to consolidate institutions that meet the 
desires of the Nigerien people."  He thanked Mediator Abubakar for 
accepting the mission he hopes will secure a "consensual agreement 
and credible reconciliation" sought by the Nigerien people. 
 
¶3.  CFDR/Opposition leader Cisse also thanked the ECOWAS Mediator 
for his "engagement in initiatives to promote dialogue among 
Nigeriens."  Cisse noted that Nigeriens have followed for the last 
several months the efforts of international institutions and 
development partners to find a resolution to Niger's political 
crisis.  He opined that for close to ten years the RON had exercised 
the normal functions of a democracy, held free and fair elections 
and maintained a respect for rule of law and state institutions, 
such as the Constitutional Court.  He lamented that the GON had not 
followed the good models of Cape Verde and Ghana of peaceful 
transition but, instead followed the poor examples of Sudan and 
Zimbabwe that hindered alternance.  He added that "the world has 
been following the events in the RON, from the "widely-opposed 
referendum to the recently disputed national assembly elections." 
He closed with the hope that the RON would again "find itself among 
the family of democratic nations." 
 
¶4.  GON negotiator Oumarou spoke of the composition of the MPRR 
coalition and also thanked the Mediator and his team for taking on 
the mission it had been assigned.  He stressed that "every nation 
must adopt democracy to suit its own local conditions" and stated 
"that is the reason democracy in the United States differs from that 
in France, that of Brazil from that in Japan, that in Senegal from 
that of Pakistan."  He added that each nation has its inalienable 
rights to choose the governance its wants and insisted that the 
Nigerien people had determined its own future through a referendum. 
He closed his remarks noting his delegation is ready for an open, 
frank discussion, and emphasized that Nigeriens watching and 
listening to the dialogue are counting on the negotiators to 
succeed. 
 
¶5. ECOWAS Mediator Abubakar highlighted the historic act the 
negotiations represented for the RON.  He reminded attendees that he 
had consulted with the various stakeholders over several weeks and 
expressed gratitude that the GON and Opposition have indicated 
willingness to hold a dialogue that is vital for both RON and the 
region.  He stressed that no dialogue can be held in a vacuum and 
implored the negotiating parties to look for a peaceful, successful 
end to the crisis.  He thanked the stakeholders and international 
community for its contributions during the consultation period.  He 
asked the negotiating parties to be poised to make concessions and 
seek areas of agreement; to use frankness and honesty during the 
negotiations in order to reach an end beneficial to the Nigerien 
people.  He closed by stating that the world is waiting for an 
outcome typical of the cohesion for which Nigeriens are known. 
 
¶6.  The room was then emptied with a request that the negotiators, 
Mediation team and members of the diplomatic corps assemble to take 
a group photo, but the Opposition members declined the offer and 
 
NIAMEY 00001005  002 OF 002 
 
 
responded that they would wait until the end of negotiations. 
Consequently, one photo for local media was taken without Opposition 
representation.  After the photo, the diplomatic corps and other 
observers left the venue and the negotiating teams proceeded to meet 
behind closed doors.  (Note: Notable Opposition leaders absent from 
the proceedings included former PM Hama Amadou, former National 
Assembly President Mahamane Ousmane and CFDR coalition/PNDS Party 
leader Mahamadou Issoufou.  End note.) 
 
ALLEN