US embassy cable - 01ABUJA2982

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002982 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF, AF/W, AF/RA AND AF/E 
DEPT ALSO PASS TO SPECIAL ENVOY DANFORTH 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME, OSLO FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
CAIRO FOR MAXSTADT 
NSC FOR FRAZER AND MILLER 
DIA FOR J.GERHARD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2011 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, CG, SU, BY, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: NSA MOHAMMED DISCUSSES SUDAN, DROC, 
BURUNDI 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter; Reasons 1.5 (b) 
and (d). 
 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Jeter, accompanied by PolCouns and 
PolMilOff, called on NSA Aliyu Mohammed on November 11. The 
President's Special Coordinator for Sudan, Dr. Usman Bugaje 
also attended.  This message covers their conversation on 
Nigeria's foreign affairs efforts. 
 
 
2. (C) SUMMARY CONTINUED: Stymied on recent Sudan and DROC 
efforts, NSA Mohammed and Bugaje described Nigeria's efforts 
thus far, but without much sense of next steps.  The Sudan 
conference is postponed, and Nigeria is looking to Senator 
Danforth's trip for direction.  The key players on the DROC, 
Kabila, Bemba and Osunumba, have agreed to another try for an 
Abuja meeting, but no date has yet been set.  The NSA agreed 
to pass a matrix outlining anti-terrorism treaty ratification 
status to the President for review.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
=============== 
SUDAN POSTPONED 
=============== 
 
 
3. (C) Special Sudan Coordinator, Dr. Usman Bugaje, described 
Nigerian efforts on Sudan.  Bugaje emphasized that Nigeria's 
only goal in holding the now postponed conference was to 
provide a venue for consensus-building; it was never intended 
as a negotiating forum.  In the GON's view, the event was not 
important, only the outcome.  Bugaje said that he believed 
the GOS thought the process was moving too quickly; 
therefore, it was better to postpone.  Asked about SPLM views 
on the conference, Bugaje said that the SPLM had been "keen 
to attend," and the NDA had even sought extra invitations, 
but there were some (not further identified) who did not want 
a resolution of the conflict, because "peace would cost them 
their positions." 
 
 
4. (C) Ambassador Jeter noted that, in response to President 
Obasanjo's request, the USG had explained to Egypt that 
Nigeria was not trying to hijack the Sudan peace process, and 
wondered what Egypt's concerns might have been.  Bugaje said 
he thought that the Egyptians were afraid of any effort that 
they could not control because they feared that such an 
effort could lead to a divided Sudan.  President Obasanjo had 
written to Mubarak to explain that Nigeria would never seek 
division of Sudan; on the contrary, Nigeria supported greater 
integration on the Continent, not fragmentation of existing 
states.  In any case, Bugaje said that Nigeria looks forward 
to hearing about Senator Danforth's upcoming trip, which 
should inform the GON on the next steps it might take. 
 
 
================ 
WHITHER BURUNDI? 
================ 
 
 
5. (C) Complimenting the NSA on President Obasanjo's support 
for peace in Burundi, the Ambassador asked about Nigeria's 
next steps.  The NSA said Nigeria would send a battalion to 
support the effort, but he was not sure when or where the 
funding would come from.  He was also unsure who might 
replace Mandela. 
 
 
======================= 
DROC - ANOTHER MEETING? 
======================= 
 
 
6. (C) Agreeing that the Congolese National Dialogue meetings 
in Addis were not successful, the NSA said he believed many 
of the Addis participants would not attend the meeting in 
South Africa.  Nigeria had tried to help with the disarmament 
process by asking President Kabila to contain his Minister of 
Security, but Kabila was a blood nephew of the Minister and 
was not willing or able to challenge his senior uncle. 
Nigeria was trying to schedule another meeting in Abuja with 
Kabila, Bemba and Osunumba, but had not yet set a date. 
 
 
========================== 
ANTI-TERRORISM CONVENTIONS 
========================== 
 
 
7. (C) Ambassador Jeter passed the NSA a matrix on the status 
of signature and ratification of anti-terrorism conventions 
of West African states, and requested that Nigeria work 
toward signature and ratification of the treaties.  The NSA, 
looking over the document (which makes for easy comparison 
among ECOWAS states), said the matrix made it apparent that 
Nigeria was not doing too well, and said he would pass the 
paper to the President for review. 
 
 
======= 
COMMENT 
======= 
 
 
8. (C) COMMENT: Most of Nigeria's recent conflict resolution 
efforts have been stymied by unwilling participants. 
Nevertheless, Nigeria will continue to engage on the 
Continent.  Regional and indeed Continental stability remains 
the watchword of Nigeria's foreign policy.  END COMMENT. 
Jeter