US embassy cable - 02ABUJA1229

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NOFORN 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W AND IO 
GENEVA FOR FOLEY, ALSO FOR SCOTT 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2007 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, UNHRC-1, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: RESPONSE TO UN RESOLUTION ON CUBA 
 
REF: ABUJA 1218 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CDA ANDREWS FOR REASONS 1.5(B) and (D) 
 
 
1. (C/NF) A senior official of Nigeria's Foreign Ministry 
contacted us at about 1000 Abuja time (0900Z) to inform us 
that, at the level of the Foreign Ministry, a decision had 
been made to "support the other guy."  Asked if the USG had 
any hope of reversing that decision, the official said, 
"Maybe if you go to a higher level."  The official noted that 
the information he was providing us was probably "secret." 
 
 
2. (C) We were unable to reach anyone in the Presidency's 
international affairs or national security offices.  But CDA 
did reach the Principal Secretary.  We explained that we 
believed MFA might have sent instructions to Geneva in the 
(inaccurate) belief that this year's Cuba resolution was the 
same one Nigeria always voted against and that, if President 
Obasanjo were to see how mild and positive for democracy and 
human rights the Uruguayan draft was, he might be inclined to 
change those instructions. 
 
 
3.  (C) The Principal Secretary asked if we had any 
documentation to offer; if so, he would put them before the 
President at noon.  Emboff quickly delivered a copy of our 
Note and the Uruguayan draft (reftel.) 
Andrews