US embassy cable - 03ABUJA2204

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002204 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2013 
TAGS: PREL, ZI, NI, LY, IZ 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA:  MFA COMMENTS ON ZIMBABWE, DISCUSSION OF 
LIBYA AND IRAQ 
 
REF: A. STATE 345870 
 
     B. STATE 345785 
 
CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND 
D. 
 
1. (C) MFA Regions Director (a mid-point between Nigeria's P 
and regional A/S equivalents) Olusaumokun told PolCouns 
December 23 that President Obasanjo was very satisfied after 
his Geneva meeting with Zimbabwean President Mugabe earlier 
in December.  Obasanjo intends to send Nigerian FM Adeniji to 
Harare in January, according to Olusaumokun, and hopes to see 
a reconciliation agreement in Zimbabwe by March to include 
Mugabe's agreement to step down. 
 
2. (C) Olusaumokun noted that Obasanjo's Geneva meeting and 
RSA President Mbeki's more recent trip to Harare were a bit 
of an exchange of roles.  Obasanjo strongly favors 
reconciliation between the government and opposition, and 
normally meets with both toward that end -- though it was not 
possible to do so in Geneva.  Mbeki, Olusaumokun thought, 
usually concentrated on Mugabe, instead of the government and 
the MDC both, and Mbeki's engaging the opposition was a 
welcome departure in Nigeria's view.  Interestingly, 
Olusaumokun knew of Mugabe's promise of serious talks with 
the MDC in January, but did not mention it among the reasons 
he said Obasanjo believed a reconciliation agreement was 
possible by March. 
 
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IRAQ AND LIBYA 
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3. (C) PolCouns took the opportunity to go over the reftels' 
information on Saddam's arrest and U.S. Reaction to Libya's 
WMD admission.  Olusaumokun expressed appreciation that Libya 
seemed to be moving forward on many fronts to change its 
position, and he hoped that Libya would take a more 
cooperative approach within Africa as well.  On Iraq, 
Olusaumokun said he had no substantive MFA reaction. 
Roberts