US embassy cable - 01ABUJA1011

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2011 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, OVIP, NI, XA 
SUBJECT: OBASANJO ON NIGERIA'S ROLE IN AFRICA 
 
 
REF: ABUJA 
 
 
 Classified by CDA Andrews.  Reasons:  1.5(B) and (D). 
 
 
1.  (C) Nigeria's President Obasanjo will visit Washington 
May 10-12, 2001.  Over breakfast on May 5, Obasanjo told 
Ambassador Jeter that he knew he was in many respects 
representing Africa on the visit.  This was a heavy 
responsibility that he took seriously.  Obasanjo commented 
that he planned to mention Sudan, Libya and the DROC, in 
addition to events in West Africa, during his meeting with 
President Bush. 
 
 
2.  (C) Sudan: Nigeria was prepared to play a leading role in 
reconciling Sudanese parties and bringing peace to that 
country, President Obasanjo told the Ambassador.  Nigeria 
wanted U.S. engagement on Sudan, involvement along the lines 
of a special envoy, Obasanjo added.  Nigeria was not asking 
the U.S. to take the lead, but Nigeria needed clear U.S. 
support for Nigeria's role as mediator.  It was necessary to 
develop a process that went beyond IGAD (Inter-Governmental 
Authority of Development), Obasanjo said. 
 
 
3.  (C) Libya: Obasanjo was less specific about what he would 
say concerning Libya.  The GON remains concerned about Libyan 
machinations in the region and considers neighboring Niger 
particularly vulnerable. 
 
 
4.  (C) DROC: Obasanjo said he planned to visit DROC 
immediately before going to the U.S. in order to have a 
first-hand sense of events on the ground before meeting with 
USG officials.  Note: Media sources reported over the weekend 
that Obasanjo would visit the DROC and probably Rwanda 
Tuesday and Wednesday, enroute to the U.S.  End Note. 
 
 
5.  (C) Zimbabwe:  President Obasanjo said British Foresign 
Secretary Cook had telephoned him recently, asking Nigeria 
 
SIPDIS 
"not to give up" on Zimbabwe.  Obasanjo told the Ambassador 
that he would dispatch Foreign Minister Sule Lamido to Harare 
to look into developments and report back to him. 
 
 
6.  (SBU) Media:  Post understands that Obasanjo gave an 
interview on the U.S. visit to AP recently and that a number 
of Nigerian journalists were also present.  There were 
several questions about why Nigeria's President should visit 
the U.S. after a campaign in which, according to the Nigerian 
journalists, Africa's importance to the U.S. was downplayed. 
Obasanjo responded that campaigns had their own dynamic and 
that the U.S. Administration knew one could not simply ignore 
Africa.  The GON was taking the bilateral relationship with 
the U.S. very seriously, he added. 
Andrews