US embassy cable - 01ABUJA2256

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002256 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2011 
TAGS: PREL, SU, SL, ZI, PINR, NI 
SUBJECT:  NIGERIA: CONFLICT RESOLUTION - "AFRICAN-STYLE" 
 
 
REF: A. STATE 153144 
     B. STATE 153894 
     C. ABUJA 2253 
 
 
 (U) Classified by CDA Andrews; Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: CDA, accompanied by PolMilOff, called on the 
Special Presidential Envoy for Conflict Resolution, 
Ambassador Raph Uwechue, to discuss Sudan developments (Refs 
A and B).  Uwechue welcomed the appointment of Senator 
Danforth as a signal of U.S. interest in Sudan and Africa. 
He described African conflict resolution as based on emotion 
rather than calculation, and described President Obasanjo's 
most recent efforts in Sierra Leone as an example.  Finally, 
he gave his insights into Zimbabwe, arguing for the need to 
strike a balance between competing interests.  Bio 
information in paras 5-8.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
2. (U) SPECIAL ENVOY APPOINTMENT: Uwechue stated that the 
appointment of Senator Danforth was welcome and an indication 
of "how seriously the Administration takes Sudan."  He also 
noted that Nigeria was interested to work with the U.S. to 
resolve conflicts generally, and that with so much in common, 
the two countries could build greater understanding. 
Moreover, in describing countries as mammals, "the U.S. is 
like an elephant," Uwechue said, "it carries a lot of weight 
and leaves a big footprint."  The U.S. could make a dent, 
Uwechue opined, when others could not do so.  However, such 
weight imposed the responsibility to step carefully. 
 
 
3. (C) CONFLICT RESOLUTION AFRICA-STYLE: Uwechue described 
African conflict resolution as based on emotion, rather than, 
pointing to his head and smiling, "your computers."  He 
elaborated that with Africans, once you make a personal 
connection, you can ask of them almost anything, and "sort 
out the details later."  Turning to Sierra Leone, Uwechue 
briefly discussed his trip with President Obasanjo on 
September 3, which he described as historic, particularly 
noting the meeting of Presidents Kabbah (with his FM), 
Obasanjo (with Uwechue) and Konare (with his MOJ) with four 
RUF leaders (he named Sessay and Massoquoi) in Kono.  He said 
the GOSL had agreed to open a RUF liaison office in Freetown 
to "keep the communication lines open." 
 
 
4. (C) ZIMBABWE: Uwechue opined that any solution on Zimbabwe 
would have to strike a balance between the claims of both 
sides.  He noted that the "settlers" were not colonialists 
but Zimbabweans, and that they were critical to the 
Zimbabwean economy.  However, black Zimbabwean farmers wanted 
access to lands once held by their ancestors.  Uwechue 
pointed to his arm and noted that Americans, whether of 
African descent and with dark skin or of Scandinavian descent 
and with white skin, were all Americans.  Likewise, he 
stated, Africans, whether the Arabs living in North Africa, 
whites in southern Africa, or black Africans, were all 
Africans.  for reporting on the Abuja Commonwealth 
Ministerial, see Ref C (notal). 
 
 
5.  (C) BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: Ambassador Raphael Uwechue was 
born in 1935 at Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State.  He attended 
primary school at Holy Family School in Sokoto and St. 
Peter's Primary School, Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State.  He 
receieved secondary education at St. John's (Rimi) College in 
Kaduna, where he became fluent in Hausa.  He attended 
University College, Ibadan from 1956-60, and graduated with 
honors in history.  He later pursued post-graduate studies in 
International Law and French at the Institute of Higher 
International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. 
 
 
6. (C) Uwechue joined the Nigerian Foreign Service at 
independence in 1960, and served in Cameroon, Pakistan and 
Mali.  He was Nigeria's first diplomatic envoy to France, 
where he opened the Nigerian Embassy in Paris as Charge in 
1966.  He left the Service at the start of the Nigerian Civil 
War in 1967, when he became the Biafran representative to 
France, but resigned this post in 1968 in protest against 
what he described as "Biafran inflexibility."  He did not 
return to Nigeria for over 10 years.  Uwechue was Minister of 
Health from October to December of 1983 during Shagari's 
second administration.  In 1993, he was active in the Delta 
State SDP (his bio describes him as a close confidant of 
Chief M.K.O. Abiola).  He was the Vice-Chairman of NADECO 
Abroad from 1994-1998.  Uwechue was appointed into his 
present position as Ambassador Extraordinary and 
Plenipotentiary in 1999, with the title of Special 
Presidential Envoy on Conflict Resolution in Africa.  He said 
he was comfortable in London but returned to Nigeria because 
he believed in President Obasanjo's program for reform and 
the elimination of corruption. 
 
 
7. (C) Uwechue has been publisher and Editor-in-Chief of such 
publications as "Africa Magazine," "Afrique Magazine," Africa 
Woman Magazine," and the "Know Africa" series of books.  He 
has authored several books, including, "Reflection on the 
Nigeria Civil War," Africa Ohne Burgerkrieg," "'L'Avenir du 
Biafra," and "The Awareness of History among Indigenous 
African Communities." 
8. (C) Ambassador Uwechue speaks English, Hausa and French. 
He lived for 25 years in London.  He is easy-going, warm and 
well-spoken. 
 
 
9. (U) Freetown minimize considered. 
Andrews