Cablegate: Ecowas Mediator Opens Talks On Niger

VZCZCXRO9364
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0900 3201617
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161617Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5461
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000900

DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/RSA; PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W
ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WA
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI PHUM PREL NG
SUBJECT: ECOWAS MEDIATOR OPENS TALKS ON NIGER

REF: Niamey 899

1. (U) Summary: November 9, members of the People's Movement for
the Reshaping of the Republic (MPRR) met with General Abdusalami
Abubakar (retired), ECOWAS Mediator responsible for dealing with
Niger's political crisis. MPPR members submitted a memorandum
outlining the Government of Niger's (GON) defense of recent
political actions. They also argued that President Tandja had not
violated the 1999 constitution, that the constitutional referendum
was requested by the majority of Nigeriens, and that its results
expressed the will of the people. End Summary.

Tandja's Supporters Label ECOWAS Unfair
---------------------------------------

2. (U) When MPRR members returned to Niamey from Abuja on November
10, they held a press conference in which they maintained that the
August 4, 2009 referendum expressed the will of "the people" and was
an "act of sovereignty", that there was no crisis at all, and that
Niger was making headway on its development objectives. According
to the memorandum, ECOWAS' decision to suspend Niger was unfair to
the GON, and it also urged ECOWAS to reconsider its current stance.
The MPRR delegation was mainly made up of Tazarce supporters;
including political party leaders, civil society activists,
traditional chiefs, and religious leaders. (Note: Tazarce is Hausa
language for "let it continue." End note.) There were no incumbent
GON cabinet members in the MPRR delegation.

ECOWAS Mediator Meets with Opposition Group
-------------------------------------------

3. (SBU) On November 11-13, ECOWAS mediator Abubakar met with the
Coordination of Forces for Democracy and the Republic (CFDR), a
coalition of political parties, civil society organizations, and
trade unions. The CFDR also submitted a document containing a
genesis of political developments during 2009 and providing legal
arguments against the events leading up to the August 4 referendum
that they termed as a "coup d'etat."

Opposition Labels President Tandja Irresponsible
--------------------------------------------- ---

4. (SBU) The CFDR members challenged the legitimacy of the Tazarce
delegation because they had hoped to see a government delegation
with decision-making powers. It also labeled President Tandja's
decision to send such a delegation as an "irresponsible and
condescending attitude that flouts regional and international
institutions." The CFDR further expressed concern that direct
negotiations between the two protagonists should not take place in
Niamey, because it believed that discussions would be disturbed by
hardliners on both sides, especially President Tandja's supporters
who may be allowed extensive use of public media to cast diatribes
against the opposition and sabotage the talks.

Comment
-------

5. (SBU) Critics believe that President Tandja purposefully chose to
send representatives to Abuja without a clear official mandate -
knowing that they would have little room to negotiate, much less
authority to make official commitments. They argue that President
Tandja and his supporters were just trying to delay further
national, regional, and international action while moving quickly to
consolidate the president's de-facto government. This appears more
evident with the immediate validation of the legislative election
results and the quick installation of the new National Assembly
(reftel).

6. (U) The GON and the CFDR remain in a political impasse with no
foreseeable solution in the near future. End Comment.

Allen

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