US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1708

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001708 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013 
TAGS: KNNP, MNUC, PARM, PREL, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA:  PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE 
 
REF: A. STATE 272470 
     B. STATE 254587 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND 
D. 
 
 
1. (C) Embassy and the embassies of the other countries who 
participated in the Ref A demarche in Abuja delivering the 
PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles received an 
substantive response from MFA Director for Regions 
Olusanmokun on September 30, after a joint meeting with him 
September 29.  Olusanmokun responded that: 
 
 
-- Nigeria plays an active role in all such anti-terrorism 
and anti-proliferation frameworks, and in principle would be 
interested in participating in PSI if a role is offered. 
 
 
-- Nigeria likes the Statement's concrete approach, making 
Nigerian participation even more likely if asked. 
 
 
2. (C) That said, Olusanmokun continued, the Nigerian 
Government (GON) believes no African countries currently have 
Weapons of Mass Destruction programs, and small-arms 
trafficking is a far more important and immediate problem for 
African governments.  Nigeria would therefore like to see if 
the interdiction principles discussed in the PSI Statement 
could be combined with programs to disrupt the small-arms 
trade by land, sea and air.  Both require similar 
intelligence, legal and military tools, Olusanmokun contended. 
 
 
3. (C) COMMENT:  In the group setting here with Mr. 
Olusanmokun, we were not able to raise the Ref A Question D 
talking point that PSI interdiction efforts may be able to 
use models from the prevention of narcotics trafficking. 
Participants at the PSI conference in London, however, may 
wish to discuss possible synergies with programs aimed at 
small-arms trafficking as well as narcotics trafficking 
programs, as a means of interesting African countries in the 
Initiative. 
MEECE