United States: Indiana National Guard, Republic of Niger form new partnership

United States: Indiana National Guard, Republic of Niger form new partnership
State Partnership Program builds relationships; has lasting impact in Africa

By NATE HERRING
U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs
Jan 31, 2017

NIAMEY, Niger – The Indiana National Guard and the Republic of Niger began a new partnership Jan. 26 as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program.

Maj. Gen. Courtney P. Carr, the Adjutant General of Indiana, and Gen. Seyni Garba, Joint Chief of Staff of the Niger Armed Forces, signed a ceremonial partnership agreement during a ceremony in Niamey, Niger.

The State Partnership Program is a long-term security cooperation program that pairs National Guard States with partner nations in a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship.

“For the Forces Armée Nigerien, it will build and strengthen its already impressive military training institutions and security operations,” said Amb. Eunice S. Reddick, U.S. Ambassador to Niger. “For the Indiana National Guard, the partnership offers a chance to increase readiness, interoperability, and regional expertise.”

While the National Guard Bureau oversees the State Partnership Program, it is not limited to military to military engagements, but can also include military to civil, and civil to civil interactions, said Lt. Col. Chris Kimball, U.S. Africa Command State Partnership Program coordinator.

“The National Guard State Partnership Program is an innovative means to bring together a state’s National Guard with that of a partner country,” Carr said. “It enables Indiana National Guard to leverage whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader interagency engagements spanning the military, economic, education and socio-cultural realms.”

The Indiana National Guard has a history of partnering with academic institutions such as Indiana University – who is interested in playing a vital role in the partnership with Niger, he said.

The State Partnership program began in 1993 and currently there are 73 unique partnerships across the world. With the addition of Indiana and Niger, there are now 13 African nations partnered with 10 State National Guards. Other partnerships include Botswana and North Carolina; Djibouti and Kentucky; Ghana, Togo, Benin and North Dakota; Kenya and Massachusetts; Liberia and Michigan; Morocco and Utah; Nigeria and California; Senegal and Vermont; South Africa and New York; Tunisia and Wyoming.

“Since the first partnership in Africa began in 2003 between South Africa and New York, the State Partnership Program has been a vital contributor to the AFRICOM mission,” said Brig. Gen. Timothy McAteer, AFRICOM deputy director for strategy, plans, and programs. “The long-term relationships built between Guard members and their African counterparts have a positive impact on security, stability, and the future of the partnered African nations.”

Typical engagements between National Guard units and African militaries include leadership, officer and NCO development training and opportunities, cooperative training and exercises, senior leader visits, exchange programs and deployment planning.

Since many African militaries are smaller than the U.S. military, the State Partnership Program matches military organizations of comparable size, focus and mission, Kimball said.

During the Obama Administration
In fiscal year 2016, the National Guard conducted more than 110 State Partnership Program events in support of AFRICOM’s security cooperation objectives. These events involved approximately 700 U.S. and approximately 1,900 partner nation personnel, said Col. Dan Bilko, Chief, AFRICOM National Guard Integration Office.

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Niger

What is now Niger was once part of the Songhai Empire from 600–1591 and the Mali Empire. The area was then part of the Hausa kingdoms and Kanem–Bornu Empire. Following the 1885 Berlin conference, which formalized Europe’s colonial Scramble for Africa, the French were given the land by European powers and not the Africans. By 1922, African resistance to colonial rule, in this region, was eliminated and Niger became a French colony. On December 4, 1958, Niger became an autonomous state within the French Community. Niger gained independence from France on August 3, 1960.
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Source: CIA Factbook
Population: 18,638,600 (July 2016 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Hausa 53.1%
Zarma/Songhai 21.2%
Tuareg 11%
Fulani (Peul) 6.5%
Kanuri 5.9%
Gurma 0.8%
Arab 0.4%
Tubu 0.4%
Other 0.9%

Languages: French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Religions:
Muslim 80%
Other (includes Traditional African or Christian) 20%

Military branches: Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Nigerien Air Force (Force Aerienne du Niger)

Economy:
Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources.

Although Niger has sizable reserves of oil, the profitability of these commodities has been called in to question due to the prolonged drop in oil prices.
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Reuters reported in 2015, that Niger had made a new crude oil discovery estimated at about 43 million barrels in its Bilma field.

An official at Niger’s oil ministry told Reuters that crude from Bilma will be transported to Agadem. From there it will also be shipped through a pipeline under construction which will link to the Chad-Cameroon pipeline.

Niger had signed deals with both Cameroon and Chad which will allow it to export crude from Agadem to Cameroon’s Atlantic coast. The pipeline was expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2016.