Why Niger is so ambivalent about Qaddafi loyalists' arrival
Several pieces in the last few days have reported on the different sentiments that exist in Niger regarding the presence of former Libyan ruler Col. Muammar Qaddafi鈥檚 lieutenants and supporters in Niger. The ambivalence that characterizes the Nigerien population鈥檚 feelings toward the Libyan conflict also seems to extend to the Nigerien government, whose policies toward post-Qaddafi Libya are somewhat mixed.
The gives a street-level view from the capital, Niamey, of Nigeriens鈥� attitudes toward the influx of Qadhafi loyalists:
[A water-seller] says Niger has 鈥渘o choice but to host them because they are Muslims鈥�.
鈥淚slam says one cannot deliver a Muslim brother to their enemies,鈥� he says.
鈥淏ut we fear that weapons might enter our country along with former Tuareg rebels,鈥� he adds.
Al Jazeera, meanwhile, has a from the northern city of Agadez showing Tuaregs pledging support for Qaddafi.
These different attitudes among the population add to the pressure the Libyan civil war has put on Niger鈥檚 government, which is trying to balance its welcome for Qaddafi supporters against its cognizance of the new political reality in the region. Niger has recognized the rebel Transitional National Council in Libya, but sheltering Qadhafi鈥檚 lieutenants sends a message that Niger鈥檚 memories of Qaddafi鈥檚 influence remain strong. Yet again, Niger鈥檚 government is deeply concerned by the arrival of Qaddafi supporters, and is not only trying to, as VOA reports, , but is also keeping Qaddafi鈥檚 son Saadi 鈥渦nder a kind of house arrest鈥� in Niamey. The Nigerien authorities, in other words, are treading carefully in an attempt to stay in the good graces of the new Libyan rulers to the north, pro-Qadhafi factions in their own country, and the international community.
鈥� Alex Thurston is a PhD student studying Islam in Africa at Northwestern University and blogs at .
