US embassy cable - 05ABUJA114

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000114 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, SL, LI, NI 
SUBJECT: CHARLES TAYLOR DEMARCHE 
 
REF: STATE 8930 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.5 (B & D). 
 
1. (C) Ambassador presented reftel demarche and talking 
points to MFA PermSec N.U.O. Nadibia-Anyanwu on January 19, 
and also sent a copy to National Security Advisor Aliyu 
Mohammed.  The PermSec responded that such fears of Taylor's 
influence had been investigated in the past and proved 
overblown, but she would forward this newest and it would be 
investigated.  Taylor had more or less run out of sufficient 
funds to influence Liberian politics, the PermSec noted, and 
she hoped President Bryant would use his frequent visits to 
Nigeria to provide the GON directly with any evidence he 
might have of Taylor meddling. 
 
2. (C) The PermSec was accompanied by MFA UnderSecretary for 
Africa Ukonga, who added a new wrinkle to the PermSec's 
restatement of GON policy on Taylor.  Amb. Ukonga said Taylor 
was prohibited from interfering in Liberian politics, not 
prohibited from making telephone calls to Liberia per se. 
"He is Liberian with family and friends there," she 
continued, "it is natural that he calls them." 
 
3. (C) The MFA PermSec and UnderSecretary said they had not 
heard of the GON discussing transfer of Taylor to Sierra 
Leone at UNSC request, as mentioned in the reftel talking 
point.  The GON had made no such proposal.  The bottom line 
for Nigeria, they said, was that President Obasanjo must keep 
his word to keep Taylor in Nigeria until such time as a 
democratically elected Liberian government requests further 
action, as agreed with the other ECOWAS leaders at the time 
and also with other countries such as the USG. 
CAMPBELL