REPORT OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION’S WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS/COMMUNITIES MISSION TO THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER 14 – 24 February 2006 The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted this report at its 40th Ordinary Session, 15 – 29 November 2006. 2008 AFRICAN COMMISSION INTERNATIONAL ON HUMAN AND WORK GROUP FOR PEOPLES’ RIGHTS INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS REPORT OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION’S WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS/COMMUNITIES: MISSION TO THE REPUBLIC OF NIGER, 14 – 24 FEBRUARY 2006 © Copyright: ACHPR and IWGIA Typesetting: Uldahl Graphix, Copenhagen, Denmark Prepress and Print: Litotryk, Copenhagen, Denmark ISBN: 9788791563485 Distribution in North America: Transaction Publishers 390 Campus Drive / Somerset, New Jersey 08873 www.transactionpub.com African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Kairaba Avenue - P.O.Box 673, Banjul, The Gambia Tel: +220 4377 721/4377 723 - Fax: +220 4390 764 [email protected] - www.achpr.org International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs Classensgade 11 E, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark Tel: +45 35 27 05 00 - Fax: +45 35 27 05 07 [email protected] - www.iwgia.org This report has been produced with financial support from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................ 8 PREFACE .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 12 MAP OF NIGER ...................................................................................................................................................... 18 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................19 PREPARATION OF THE MISSION .............................................................................................................................20 CONDUCT OF THE MISSION ..................................................................................................................................21 TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE MISSION .........................................................................................................22 PART I BRIEF HISTORY OF NIGER ............................................................................................................................................24 GEOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................................................25 ECONOMY ..........................................................................................................................................................................25 POPULATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS ............................................................................................27 GOVERNMENT ..................................................................................................................................................................28 LANGUAGE ..........................................................................................................................................................................28 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS ......................................................................................28 PREVIOUS MISSIONS......................................................................................................................................................29 THE PEOPLE ...........................................................................................................................................................................29 PART II INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS/COMMUNITIES IN NIGER .....................................................................33 PROFILE OF THE TUAREG ..............................................................................................................................................34 PROFILE OF THE FULANI ................................................................................................................................................39 PROFILE OF THE TOUBOU ...........................................................................................................................................42 PART III ISSUES RAISED DURING THE MEETINGS ...........................................................................................................44 A. THE NOTION OF INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS.............................................................................45 b. POVERTY, LACK OF RESOURCES AND CLIMATIC CHANGE ....................................................46 C. LAND OWNERSHIP ...........................................................................................................................................46 D. COULOIRS DE PASSAGE .................................................................................................................................48 E. SLAVERY ......................................................................................................................................................................48 CHALLENGES FACING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN NIGER ....................................................49 A. DENIAL OF THE NOTION OF INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS ..................................................50 b. CLIMATIC PROBLEMS AND CONFLICT ...................................................................................................51 C. LAND AND WATER PROBLEMS ...................................................................................................................52 D. DECENTRALISATION ..........................................................................................................................................53 E. SECURITY PROBLEMS .........................................................................................................................................53 F. THE PROBLEM OF BORDER CROSSING ..................................................................................................55 G. LOW LITERACY RATE AND POOR HEALTH ..........................................................................................55 H. POLITICAL REPRESENTATION ........................................................................................................................56 i. LANGUAGE ...............................................................................................................................................................57 ACTION BEING TAKEN TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES.......................................................................58 A. THE RURAL CODE ................................................................................................................................................58 b. CRITICISM OF THE RURAL CODE ...............................................................................................................59 CONFUSION IN THE LEGISLATION ......................................................................................................................60 THE PROMOTION OF SOCIAL COHESION ....................................................................................................62 A. THE CURE SALEÉ AND THE GEREWOL FESTIVALS ........................................................................62 B. THE COUSINAGE À PLAISANTERIE ........................................................................................................63 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................................................................63 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................................................67 REPORT OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION’S WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS/COMMUNITIES - REPUBLIC OF NIGER 7 ABBREVIATIONS ACHPR - African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights African Charter - African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights ANDDH - Association Nationale de la Défense des Droits Humains AU - African Union BCEAO - Central Bank of West African States CEDAW - Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CERD - Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination CFA - Communauté Financière Africaine ECOWAS - Economic Community of West African States GDP - Gross Domestic Product GNP - Gross National Product HIPC - Highly Indebted Poor Countries HIV/AIDS - Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ILO - International Labour Organisation NCHRFF - National Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms NCRC - National Committee of the Rural Code NGO - Non-Governmental Organisation OAU - Organisation of African Unity OCHA - Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance PRGF - Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility PSI - Pan Sahel Initiative PSRC - Permanent Secretariat of the Rural