US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1613

UNCLAS ABUJA 001613 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, GZ, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN STATEMENT ON GUINEA-BISSAU COUP 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR PUBLICATION ON THE 
INTRANET OR INTERNET. 
 
 
1. (SBU) ECOWAS sent a fact-finding team to discuss the coup 
with coup leaders, and the press reports the team returned 
and sent a report to ECOWAS member states September 16 for 
their action.  The British High Commission tells us Nigerian 
MFA MinState Samaila went, but they did not know whether he 
was with the ECOWAS group or separate.  Nigeria has already 
commented publicly (text below), and at this point it is 
unclear how the coup will affect ECOWAS and its Guinea-Bissau 
contingent on the ground in Liberia. 
 
 
NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT STATEMENT 
 
 
2. (U) Begin Text: 
 
 
The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has learnt, 
with alarm, of the reported coup d'etat in the Republic of 
Guinea-Bissau and the detention of the constitutionally 
elected president.  The Government of Nigeria strongly 
condemns this unconstitutional act by the Guinea-Bissau 
military.  The Government of Nigeria wishes to remind the 
perpetrators of this unconstitutional act that it was the 
same circumstances in 1998, which led to very disastrous 
circumstances for the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and from 
which both the country and its citizens are yet to fully 
recover. 
 
 
The Government of Nigeria further regards this latest coup 
d'etat as ill-timed and ill-advised, coming almost on the eve 
of parliamentary and presidential elections, which would have 
enabled the people of Guinea-Bissau to freely exercise their 
inalienable right of choosing their leader. 
 
 
Finally, the Government of Nigeria calls on the perpetrators 
of this unconstitutional act to immediately reverse it, 
release the constitutionally elected president and the other 
detainees, so that preparations for a free and fair election 
can resume. 
End Text. 
MEECE