STUDY REPORT on COMMUNITY INTEGRATION and PERCEPTIONS of BORDER SECURITY in the AGADEZ REGION Acknowledgements
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STUDY REPORT ON COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND PERCEPTIONS OF BORDER SECURITY IN THE AGADEZ REGION Acknowledgements Our thanks go first to Mr Daouda Alghabid, Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, Head of Government of the Niger, as well as to the Ministry of the Interior, Public Security, Decentralization and Customary and Religious Affairs. Their active support for the project “Engaging Communities in Border Management in Niger”, of which this study is an essential element, enables the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to work under the best possible conditions. More specifically, IOM wishes to thank the Governor of the Agadez region, the President of the Regional Council and the Prefects and Mayors of the departments and municipalities involved for their invaluable assistance in both preparing and conducting the survey. IOM Niger also thanks the Sultan of Aïr, the canton and group chiefs, as well as the village chiefs of the Agadez region for mobilizing the communities covered by the survey. The departmental and municipal youth councils also contributed to the smooth running of the field investigators’ mission. We thank them for that. Finally, our thanks go naturally to the donor who made this study possible, the United States Department of State. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. This publication was issued without formal editing by IOM. Publisher: International Organization for Migration 17, route des Morillons C.P. 17 1211 Genève 19 Suisse Phone: + 41 22 717 91 11 Fax: + 41 22 798 61 50 Email: [email protected] Site Web: www.iom.int Cover photo: © IOM, 2018/Sylvain CHERKAOUL __________________________________________________ © 2018 International Organization for Migration (IOM) __________________________________________________ All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. It may not be recorded in an archive system or transmitted by electronic, mechanical, magnetic, xerographic or other means. The project “Engaging Communities in Border Management in Niger - Phase II” IOM contributes to the border security policies and strategies objectives of the Niger and of the subregion by integrating communities into border management. In close coordination with the Flintlock military exercise in Niger, the project is in line with the phase I conducted in 2017 in the Diffa and Zinder regions. Implementation Period: September 2017 – January 2019 Main Beneficiaries: • Border communities in the regions of Agadez and Tillaberi; • The authorities operating at the borders of the Agadez and Tillaberi regions; • Central authorities in charge of border management. Activities: Project activities were designed to promote dialogue and involvement of border communities with the authorities, improve the capacity of the Niger State to respond to humanitarian and security crises at the borders and strengthen cross-border cooperation. I. Engaging rural communities in border management • Two field surveys within rural communities to assess their perceptions of cross-border threats and the role of authorities in border security; • Creation of community prevention and coordination committees with the authorities; • Provision of communication materials to local authorities and communities. II. Strengthening the capacity of the Nigerien authorities in humanitarian border management • Training of local authorities on good practices in humanitarian border management; • Organization of a study visit to a country with in-depth experience in managing cross-border migration crises in order to assimilate international standards and good practices. III. Improving crisis planning and response • Two simulation exercises in Agadez and Tillaberi to assess crisis response capacities and identify areas for improvement; • On this basis, development of a local contingency plan for each region. Table of Contents Introduction 5 Research Methodology 9 1. Sample profile 13 2. Perceptions of local communities on border management 17 3. Security risks at the border 25 4. Perception of local communities on terrorism 32 5. Effectiveness of border management 41 6. Communication between authorities and communities on border security 54 7. Response to an emergency situation 62 Conclusion 68 Recommendations for the future implementation of the Community Prevention Committees 70 Annex: Questionnaire 73 Annex: Processing of survey data 84 STUDY REPORT ON COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND PERCEPTIONS OF BORDER SECURITY IN THE AGADEZ REGION Introduction Located in the heart of the Sahel, the Niger extends over 1,270,000 Km2, three quarters of which are located in the Sahara Desert. The country shares borders with seven countries: Libya in the northeast, Chad in the east, Nigeria and Benin in the south, Burkina Faso and Mali in the west and Algeria in the northwest. The Niger’s 5,690 km of borders are porous and largely unregulated or monitored, representing a major risk for the Niger’s authorities in managing the security of the population. Like the rest of the Niger, the Agadez region is characterized by fragile stability, threatened by various economic and security risks that are concentrated at its borders. The lack of effective border control has been a determining factor in the unimpeded movement and development of various terrorist and criminal groups that occupy and regularly cross the border areas of the Agadez region. The purpose of this study is to analyse local people’s perceptions of border management in the Agadez region as well as the role of border authorities in pre-existing response mechanisms to massive flows of displaced or migrating populations. This work also seeks to ask populations their perception of the various security risks that threaten their environment, and in particular the terrorist risk. One of the objectives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in the Niger is to strengthen the capacities of national and regional authorities to ensure full control of their borders. This will be done in particular by developing a structured and resilient community commitment that can support the work of local and regional authorities. The first phase of this project was implemented by IOM from September 2016 to March 2018 focusing on the Diffa and Zinder regions. Following a field assessment of community perceptions and integration in border management, 46 prevention committees were established in border areas near Nigeria and, to a lesser extent, near Chad. The role of these committees is to transmit information of interest relating to safety, health and population movements to local and regional authorities. They will thus report suspicious events or the presence of potentially dangerous individuals as soon as possible. In the event of a crisis at the border, the committees should ensure early warning by the competent authorities and services. They may also be requested to assist rescue services in the identification, orientation and care of displaced and/or vulnerable persons. Prevention committees do not play a self-defence role or encourage the use of violence, even to deal with illegal activities. They are not intended to replace the authority of the State but simply to facilitate the work of its services in border management. It is essential to build on the lessons learned from Phase I of the project in order to strengthen community engagement in border management within the Agadez region, covered by Phase II. The results of this study will help guide the creation of community prevention committees in Agadez. In addition, they will offer a decision-making tool available to the authorities by highlighting the concerns of the populations village by village 5 STUDY REPORT ON COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND PERCEPTIONS OF BORDER SECURITY IN THE AGADEZ REGION Geography of Agadez Located in the north of the Niger, the region of Agadez is a region which consists of mountains, plains and plateaus largely desert. Economic activities mainly concern pastoralism and market gardening in rural areas and trade, construction or crafts in the most urbanized parts. The town of Agadez, capital of the region, is located in the centre of the Niger, at the southern end of the Aïr Mountain. This city, located 950 kilometres from Niamey, is a crossroads for trade flows through the country and the Sahel region. For many centuries, it has been a hub for trans-Saharan trade and it has been the seat of the Sultanate of Aïr since the 16th century. Located in the centre of a geographically austere region, Agadez represents the gateway to the Sahara and is ideally situated to reach Mali to the west, Algeria to the north-west and Libya to the northeast. In 2016, the population