US embassy cable - 97NIAMEY2216

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NIAMEY 002216 
 
 
PARIS FOR MORAN; LONDON FOR YOUNG 
 
E.O. 12958: 04/29/07 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, NG 
SUBJECT:  QADHAFI VISIT: HE CAME, HE SAW, HE LEFT 
 
REF:  (A) NIAMEY 2168; (B) USDAO TUNIS 091214 MAY 97 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR CHARLES O. CECIL.  REASON: 
1.5(D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND WILL BECOME MORE 
APPARENT IN THE COMING DAYS.  QADHAFI STAYED ABOUT 24 
HOURS.  THE MAIN PUBLIC EVENT WAS HIS ADDRESS TO THE 
FAITHFUL AT THE NIAMEY MOSQUE THURSDAY AFTERNOON, IN 
WHICH HE CALLED FOR THE ABANDONMENT OF THE FRENCH 
LANGUAGE IN FAVOR OF ARABIC, AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE 
WESTERN, "COLONIALIST" SOLAR CALENDAR BY THE LUNAR 
CALENDAR.  NIGERIENS LINED THE STREETS TO WELCOME HIM, 
BUT IN NUMBERS NOWHERE NEAR THE MILLION CLAIMED BY 
TRIPOLI RADIO.  THREE LIBYAN AIRCRAFT--TWO 727S AWD A 
737--WERE ON THE TARMAC AT ONE TIME, AND OTHER AIRCRAFT 
PRECEDED THE VISIT WITH ADVANCE TEAMS.  NIGERIEN 
OFFICIALS CLAIM THAT THE LIBYANS TOLD THEM THE AIRCRAFT 
CAME FROM JERBA, IN TUNISIA.  OTHER REPORTING INDICATES 
OTHERWISE.  SOME OF QADHAFI'S REMARKS MUST HAVE BEEN 
EMBARASSING TO BARE AND HIS GOVERNMENT.  MEDIA COVERAGE 
WAS DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO QADHAFI'S STATEMENTS; NO 
NIGERIEN OFFICIAL STATEMENTS WERE BROADCAST OR PRINTED. 
END SUMMARY. 
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THE VISIT SCENARIO 
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2. (U) THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SUFIS TAKING 
PLACE IN NIAMEY MAY 7-13 SERVED AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR 
YESTERDAY'S VISIT TO NIAMEY BY LIBYA'S COLONEL QADHAFI, 
HIS FIRST VISIT TO NIGER SINCE 1974.  QADHAFI ARRIVED 
AROUND 9:00 TO A GALA AIRPORT RECEPTION COMPLETE WITH 
VARIOUS DANCING TROOPS.  THOUGH INVITED, AMERICAN AND 
EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS OR CHARGES (FRENCH, GERMAN, 
BELGIAN AND EUROPEAN COMMUNITY) DID NOT ATTEND THE 
ARRIVAL.  AFTER A LONG RECEIVING LINE, INCLUDING FORMER 
PRESIDENTS ALI SAIBOU AND MAHAMANE OUSMANE (THE FIRST 
TIME WE ARE AWARE OF HIS BEING IN AN OFFICIAL RECEIVING 
LINE SINCE HIS OVERTHROW JANUARY 27, 1996), QADHAFI AND 
BARE RODE THROUGH THE CITY STANDING IN AN OPEN WHITE 
STRETCH CADILLAC, WAVING TO THE CROWDS.  SCHOOL 
CHILDREN WERE DISMISSED TO LINE THE ROUTE.  MANY ADULTS 
DID TOO, BUT TRIPOLI'S CLAIM THAT A MILLION NIGERIENS 
GREETED THE COLONEL IS A GROSS EXAGERATION.  THE 
MOTORCADE MADE ITS WAY DIRECTLY TO THE LIBYAN EMBASSY, 
WHERE NIGERIEN MINISTERS AND OTHER NOTABLES WELCOMED 
THE LIBYAN LEADER AGAIN. 
 
3. (U) THE 4:00 AFTERNOON PRAYER OUTSIDE THE MAIN 
NIAMEY MOSQUE, BUILT WITH LIBYAN MONEY, WAS LED BY 
QADHAFI, WHO ALSO DELIVERED THE SERMON AFTERWARDS. 
THOUSANDS ATTENDED, WITH A SPECIAL ENCLOSED AREA FOR 
VIPS.  THE SPEECH, REBROADCAST IN ITS ENTIRETY ON THE 
EVENING TV NEWS, WAS REMARKABLE FOR ITS MEANDERING 
REPETITIVENESS AND FOR ITS CONTENT. 
 
4. (U) AS BARE AND HIS MINISTERS SAT ON CARPETS IN 
FRONT OF QADHAFI, QADHAFI BEGAN WITH A FIFTEEN MINUTE 
RAMBLING DISSERTATION ON THE SOLAR AND LUNAR CALENDARS. 
HE CALLED UPON MUSLIMS TO ESCHEW THE SOLAR CALENDAR, 
WHICH HAD BEEN IMPOSED ON THEM BY COLONIAL RULERS, AND 
WHOSE MONTHS WERE NAMED AFTER PAGAN GODS OR ROMAN AND 
GREEK EMPERORS.  THESE PAGAN NAMES HARKENED BACK TO SUN 
WORSHIP AND POLYTHEIST GODS.  THE ADOPTION OF THE SOLAR 
CALENDAR IS PROSCRIBED BY ISLAM, HE SAID. 
 
5. (U) THE LUNAR CALENDAR, WITH ITS FOUR HOLY MONTHS, 
IS THE CALENDAR PREFERRED BY GOD.  THESE HOLY MONTHS 
ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE UNITED 
NATIONS, SAID QADHAFI.  IF MANKIND HAD RESPECTED THESE 
HOLY MONTHS, PEACE WOULD HAVE PREVAILED EVERYWHERE 
WHERE WAR NOW RAGES, MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN THE 
DECISIONS OF THE U.N. AND THE SECURITY COUNCIL, WHICH, 
LIKE THE SOLAR CALENDAR, HAVE BEEN IMPOSED BY 
COLONIALISM. 
 
6. (U) HE THEN TURNED TO THE FRENCH LANGUAGE.  FRENCH 
COLONIALISM HAD IMPOSED.ITS LANGUAGE, ITS CULTURE, AND 
ITS RELIGION ON AFRICA.  MUSLIMS MUST REJECT ALL OF 
THIS.  "HOW CAN WE IMAGINE A MUSLIM WHO DOESN'T KNOW 
HIS LANGUAGE, THE LANGUAGE OF HIS RELIGION, OF HIS 
KORAN, OF HIS GOD?" ASKED QADHAFI RHETORICALLY.  "GOD 
DOESN'T KNOW FRENCH.  MUMAMMAD DIDN'T KNOW FRENCH.  THE 
COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET DIDN'T KNOW FRENCH.  THE 
MECCANS AND MEDINANS AND THE KORAN ITSELF DON'T KNOW 
FRENCH.  AFTER REPEATING THESE THEMES IN VARIOUS WAYS, 
TRANSLATED CLEARLY AND PRECISELY BY THE INTERPRETER 
INTO FRENCH FOR THE AUDIENCE, QADHAFI THEN CALLED FOR A 
NEW EFFORT, STARTING YESTERDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF THE 
NEW MUSLIM YEAR 1418, FOR A SPECIAL EFFORT, A SACRED 
BATTLE, TO RID THE WORLD OF ALL COLONIAL HERITAGE. 
 
7. (U) THERE WERE EVENING FUNCTIONS TO WHICH NON- 
MUSLIMS WERE NOT INVITED.  QADHAFI DEPARTED FRIDAY 
MORNING FOR KANO. 
 
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ATMOSPHERICS AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS 
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8. (C) AIRCRAFT:  THREE LIBYAN AIRCRAFT WERE ON THE 
TARMAC AT ONE TIME.  THE SECURITY TEAM'S AIRCRAFT WAS A 
BOEING 737 WITH TAIL NUMBER SA-DNJ.  ONE OF TWO 727S 
WAS QADHAFI'S, PROBABLY WITH TAIL NUMBER SA-DIC.  OTHER 
TAIL NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE.  FOLLOWING THE DCM'S TWO 
DEMARCHES OF WEDNESDAY, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE 
MFA CALLED THIS MORNING TO REAFFIRM THAT LIBYAN 
OFFICIALS HAD TOLD THE NIGERIENS THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD 
DEPARTED FROM JERBA, IN TUNISIA.  WHEN THE DCM NOTED 
THAT THE AIRCRAFT WERE IN ANY CASE LIBYAN, AND ASKED IF 
THE GON WOULD BE NOLDING ANY OF THEM, THE SEC-GEN 
REPLIED THAT HE HAD NO INFORMATION ON THAT POINT.  WE 
HAVE OTHER REPORTS THAT CHARTERED TUNISIAN AIRCRAFT, 
AND POSSIBLY A BULGARIAN AIRCRAFT, ARRIVED BEFORE 
QADHAFI WITH ADVANCE PARTY.  WE DO NOT KNOW HOW THE 
CADILLAC GOT HERE.  SECURITY WAS VERY HEAVY.  LYBIAN 
UNIFORMED TROOPS, INCLUDING QADHAFI'S FEMALE, MACHINE- 
GUN TOTING GUARDS, WERE PRESENT AT THE AIRPORT, IN THE 
MOTORCADE AND IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE LYBIAN EMBASSY. 
 
9.  (C) BARE: TV COVERAGE SHOWED A SOMBER AND 
RESTRAINED PRESIDENT BARE, SEEMINGLY TENSE.  SMILES 
COULD ONLY BE SEEN WHEN WAVING FROM THE CADILLAC. NONE 
OF BARE'S STATEMENTS WERE COVERED BY THE GOVERNMENT TV 
OR NEWSPAPER.  MEDIA ATTENTION WAS EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED 
ON QADHAFI. 
 
10. (U) AN EDITORIAL IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT PAPER, LE 
SAHEL, EXPLAINED THE VISIT AS FOLLOWS: 
 
--"IN OUR POLICY OF GOOD-NEIGHBORLINESS, IT IS 
INDISPENSABLE TO MAINTAIN PERMANENT CONTACT AND 
DIALOGUE.  IT WAS IN THESE TERMS THAT PRESIDENT BARE 
DEFINED HIS RECENT VISIT TO LIBYA." 
 
--"NIGER...DESIROUS OF MAINTAINING PEACE AND SECURITY 
BOTH INTERNALLY AS WELL AS IN THE SUB-REGION INTENDS TO 
NOURISH RELATIONS OF FRIENDSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING WITH 
ALL COUNTRIES WITH WHICH IT SHARES A COMMON BORDER." 
 
--"THERE ARE NUMEROUS NIGERIENS WHO LIVE AND WORK IN 
LIBYA." 
 
--"NIGER AND LIBYA...ARE TWO SISTER-COUNTRIES CONDEMNED 
TO COOPERATE AND LIVE TOGETHER IN PEACE AWD RECIPROCAL 
UNDERSTANDING." 
 
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COMMENT 
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11. (C) IT IS IN NIGER'S INTERESTS THAT IT NOT INCUR 
LIBYAN HOSTILITY, AS IT CLEARLY DID WHEN IT RE- 
ESTABLISHED RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL LATE LAST YEAR. 
NIGER IS SEEKING ANY LEVERAGE AVAILABLE TO SECURE THE 
RELEASE OF THE CANADIAN AND NIGERIEN HOSTAGES HELD BY 
TOUBOU TRIBESMEN IN THE NORTH.  MANY NGOS HAVE WRITTEN 
THE GON IN RECENT WEEKS, STRESSING THE NECESSITY OF 
BRINGING TNE HOSTAGE SITUATION TO AN END IF THESE NGOS 
ARE TO BE EXPECTED TO CARRY OUT PROJECTS IN THE 
NORTHERN AND EASTERN REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY.  THE GON 
NEEDS TNE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THESE NGOS AND IS SEARCHING 
FOR ANY HELP, INCLUDING LIBYAN, TO BRING IT TO AN END. 
 
12. (C) TO THE EXTENT THAT THE USG CARES ABOUT HUNT 
OIL'S ABILITY TO DRILL ITS WELLS IN THE NORTH OF NIGER 
WITHOUT ITS EMPLOYEES BEING TAKEN HOSTAGE, OR WITHOUT 
LIBYA ASSERTING CLAIMS TO NIGER'S UNDEMARCATED 
FRONTIER, IT IS IN THE USG'S INTEREST THAT NIGER-LIBYAN 
RELATIONS BE FREE OF RANCOR. 
 
13. (C) MANY OF THE NIGERIENS ON THE STREET, BESIDES 
THE SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO WERE TAKEN THERE BY THEIR 
TEACHERS, WERE THERE OUT OF A MIXTURE OF MOTIVATIONS. 
THE GOVERNMENT ASKED THEM TO LINE THE STREETS; THOSE 
WHO SUPPORT THIS GOVERNMENT DID SO, BUT SO DID OTHERS. 
(LE SANEL MADE A POINT OF THANKING FRDD LEADERS FOR 
ENCOURAGING TNEIR MEMBERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE 
DEMONSTRATION OF PUBLIC WELCOME.)  MANY NIGERIENS, 
ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH LITTLE EDUCATION, ASSOCIATE LIBYA 
WITH A POSITIVE IMAGE OF MONEY, WORK, AND CONSUMER 
GOODS; THEY WANT THE BORDER OPEN, SO THEY CAN WORK AND 
BRING GOODS HOME.  THEY ARE LESS CONSCIOUS OF THE 
OPINION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CONCERNING 
COLONEL QADHAFI. 
 
14. (C) WESTERNERS WHO DON'T NORMALLY LISTEN TO COLONEL 
QADHAFI, OR READ HIS SPEECHES, MAY OVERREACT TO HIS 
REPETITIOUS, SIMPLISTIC, ANTI-WESTERN EXHORTATIONS. 
NEVERTHELESS, MOST EDUCATED NIGERIENS VALUE THEIR 
FRENCH EDUCATION AND THEIR AFFINITY FOR FRENCH CULTURE, 
EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY CRITICIZE FRENCH GOVERNMENT POLICY 
AND HEAVY-HANDEDNESS IN SEEKING ECONOMIC DOMINATION 
OVER FRANCOPNONE COUNTRIES.  THEY ARE NOT ABOUT TO 
LEARN ARABIC NOR ADOPT THE LUNAR CALENDAR.  HEARING THE 
LEADER OF A RICH NATION ADVOCATE SUCH MEASURES IN ALL 
SERIOUSNES MAY BOTH AMUSE THEM AND PUT THEM ON GUARD. 
THIS IS NOT A MAN ONE WANTS TO GET ON THE WRONG SIDE 
OF.  THE LESS EDUCATED, HOWEVER, MAY FIND HIS 
SIMPLISTIC AND REPETITIVE ARGUMENTS EASY TO UNDERSTAND 
AND REPEAT, AND LOOK TO RELIGION FOR SURCEASE OF SORROW 
IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION.  BECAUSE THERE ARE A 
LOT MORE OF THE LATTER IN NIGER THAN OF THE FORMER (THE 
EDUCATED) ANY NIGERIEN GOVERNMENT MUST TREAT QADHAFI 
WITH CARE. 
 
 
CECIL