US embassy cable - 01ABUJA2172

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2011 
TAGS: KPKO, MARR, PREL, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: UNAMSIL MANDATE RENEWAL 
 
REF: STATE 147877 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter; Reasons 1.5 (b) and 
(d). 
 
 
1.  (C) PolMilOff spoke with Director of American and 
Caribbean Affairs (and former Deputy Director of West African 
Affairs) Basil Ukpong of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 
August 27.  After a friendly exchange of compliments on the 
efforts of both the U.S. and Nigeria to bring peace to Sierra 
Leone, Ukpong stated that U.S. support had turned UNAMSIL 
around, as was clear from recent progress towards peace and 
disarmament.  PolMilOff asked if Nigeria would support the 
UNAMSIL mandate renewal.  Ukpong laughed, and said, "Of 
course." 
2. (C) During an August 28 meeting focused otherwise on 
Zimbabwe (septel), DCM asked MFA Director for African Affairs 
Ambassador Femi George if Nigeria would support UNAMSIL 
renewal.  George laughed and said, "That's a foregone 
conclusion.  Why are you troubling yourself to ask?" 
 
 
3. (C) Turning serious, George commented that Nigeria was 
concerned that the Special Court should adopt proper 
procedures and attitudes.  Otherwise, the current level of 
cooperation the RUF was offering might be lost, with serious 
consequences for the UN Mission.  It was perfectly alright, 
he opined, to proceed quickly against the people "everybody 
knew" were responsible for atrocities.  However, the "other 
pillar, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee," needed time 
to "do its work and bring out the facts and revelations" 
before certain others could be brought before the court. 
This might take time, George continued, and the international 
community needed to show the proper measure of patience. 
Nigeria was planning to second officers to the Court and to 
provide approximately $100,000 in funding, George added, 
noting that final arrangements for this assistance were not 
yet in place. 
Jeter