VZCZCXRO0788
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0706 2000950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180950Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4420
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0705
RUZEHAA/CDR USEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS NIAMEY 000706
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ASEC NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: TRACT THREATENS OPPONENTS OF THE FORMER
PRIME MINISTER
REF: (A) NIAMEY 638 (B) NIAMEY 632 (C) NIAMEY 624 (D)
NIAMEY 1453
1. (U) The French Embassy on July 18 received a tract
expressing support for imprisoned former Prime Minister Hama
Amadou, and threatening those responsible for his
imprisonment (ref a, b, and c). It says that it will locate
the homes of 10 members of the National Assembly ad hoc
commission that reviewed the case, identify the 72 deputies
who voted to allow the prosecution, and track the presidents
of the three parliamentary groups, as well as certain members
of the government, notably Interior Minister Albade. It
promises to make life in Niamey impossible for those
individuals. It ends by urging "excellencies" to take
actions to ensure that their citizens do not become innocent
victims of a conflict that does not concern them.
2. (U) The use of the plural "excellencies" suggests that the
tract was sent to other Embassies as well, although we have
not yet received a copy.
3. (SBU) Comment: We have no specific information on who is
behind the tract, and particularly whether they are in a
position to carry out their threats. (Another apparently
Zarma group that threatened the GON last December has not
been heard from since a January 10 posting on its web site.)
The use of a few Zarma expressions in the letter, which is
otherwise in French, and the fact that nine of the ten named
deputies threatened in the letter are Hausa, suggests a
troubling ethnic angle to the missive. While the tract urges
measures to ensure the safety of foreign citizens, it
provides no details that would suggest what such measures
might be.
ALLEN