US embassy cable - 01ABUJA1921

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001921 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2011 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, NI, WCAR 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: OBASANJO IS READY TO WORK WITH U.S. ON 
WCAR 
 
 
REF: (A) STATE 130883 (B) ABUJA 966 (C) ABUJA 1156 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter for reasons 1.5 (b) 
and (d). 
 
 
1. (C) Per Ref A request, Ambassador met with President 
Olusegun Obasanjo on July 31 to discuss the WCAR.  Other 
issues raised were Nigeria's role in Zimbabwe and post-JEPC 
bilateral engagement, both covered in septels.  This cable 
reports on the WCAR discussion. 
 
 
2. Ambassador Jeter expressed the USG desire to work with 
Nigeria and emphasized the importance of using Geneva for a 
constructive dialogue on WCAR.  The Ambassador stressed that 
together we can use this opportunity to lead the 
international community to confront the scourge of racism. 
However, he explained, the USG could not participate in WCAR 
unless there is agreement to remove unacceptable language 
involving reparations for the slave trade and comparisons 
between Zionism and racism. 
 
 
3.  (C) President Obasanjo agreed that all forms of 
discrimination must be condemned and that Zionism cannot be 
equated with racism.  The President emphatically asserted 
that he would oppose the demand for reparations at the Geneva 
meeting, calling the concept "complete nonsense."  He then 
described the possible involvement of his own great, great 
grandfather in assisting slave traders.  Pointing to 
Ambassador Jeter, an African American, he asked rhetorically, 
&who should be compensated, my great, great grandfather who 
helped to perpetuate the slave trade, or your great, great, 
grandfather who was a victim of it.8  Obasanjo argued that 
reparations to African countries whose forefathers helped to 
perpetrate these acts is simply "not right".  He rhetorically 
asked how we could expect reparations when even today the 
slave trade continues in Africa.  &Don,t worry. That will 
not happen,8 he said. 
 
 
4. (C) Ambassador Jeter noted that the President's position 
was radically different from that of his representatives in 
Geneva and in the Foreign Ministry.  The President replied 
that the Nigerian Permanent Representatives in New York and 
Geneva "did not know my mind before, but now they do."  He 
went on to explain that he had briefed Ambassador Mbanefo at 
the UN Mission in New York on Nigeria,s position.  Asking 
his Ambassador in Geneva to stand-down, the President had 
ordered Mbanefo to attend the Geneva meeting to present GON 
views. 
 
 
5. (C) Comment.  President Obasanjo's position came as a 
complete surprise.  Embassy demarches on this issue thus far 
have been politely but firmly rebuffed, particularly at the 
Second United Nations Unit of the MFA (see Refs B and C). 
While inclusion of language concerning Zionism and racism 
usually appears less important to Foreign Ministry personnel, 
they uniformly assert the need for WCAR discussion of 
reparations and apologies for colonial-era transatlantic 
slave trading.  They become visibly uncomfortable when asked 
about ongoing trafficking in persons.  The most senior 
official demarched prior to the President offered only that 
Nigeria could be flexible on the form (increased aid, debt 
forgiveness, etc.) that "reparations" might take.  Our next 
interaction with our WCAR interlocutors at MFA should be 
enlightening. 
 
 
6. (C) Comment continued: Obasanjo's new position on the WCAR 
is just one more example of foreign policy making at the 
highest levels of the GON.  This is not the first time 
Obasanjo has turned a policy on its head, leaving us to 
wonder whether Obasanjo's views have filtered through the 
bureaucracy.  End Comment. 
Jeter