US embassy cable - 05ABUJA676

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000676 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MASS, MARR, PHUM, KPKO, NI 
SUBJECT: MOVING FORWARD ON ACOTA 
 
REF: ABUJA 659 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.4 (B and D) 
 
1.  (C)  Summary.  In meetings with visiting USG delegation 
led by Gen. Wald, Dr. Courville and DASD Whelan on May 2, the 
GON indicated its agreement to move forward on ACOTA. 
Intra-GON coordination has been accomplished, at least for 
now, and Post recommends keeping up momentum by dispatch 
soonest of team or teams to work out training details with 
the Nigerian military.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  In meetings with National Security Advisor Aliyu 
Mohammed, CDS Gen. Ogomudia and President Obasanjo on May 2, 
visiting USDel was told that Nigeria agreed to an ACOTA 
program.  The Nigerian presentation emphasized training the 
trainers as an approach, and doing that training at the 
Peacekeeping Wing at Jaji, in coordination with ongoing 
British training efforts. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
Earlier Meeting at Defense HQ and Peacekeeping Doctrine 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
3.  (C)  On April 22, the DATT and ODC Chief met with Major 
General PA Akpa, Chief of Training and Operations (Defense), 
at the request of Defense Headquarters (DHQ).  Also in 
attendance were Brigadier General Hassan (Director of 
Peacekeeping, Army HQ), Major General Guar (DHQ), the British 
DATT and the British BMATT (ODC Chief equivalent).  Hassan 
was initially concerned about ACOTA training undermining or 
interrupting the momentum of the Nigerian Army's development 
of peacekeeping doctrine, an effort that is already far 
along.  He was eventually persuaded that Nigeria's ACOTA 
program would be developed in close coordination with his 
office and in line with the new doctrine.  Hassan requested a 
detailed program of instruction (POI) and details of the 
contents of each instructional block for his review prior to 
the return of an ACOTA team for detailed discussions.  Hassan 
left the meeting clearly very enthusiastic about entering an 
ACOTA partnership. 
 
4.  (C)  The Chief of Defense Staff, General Ogomudia, had 
absented himself from any of the ACOTA meetings at DHQ.  The 
first indication of his involvement in the decision-making 
process came after the April 22 meeting at DHQ when the DATT 
received a telephone call from Nigerian DIA saying Ogomudia 
had decided to accept the equipment side of ACOTA, but not 
the training.  The DATT made clear that there would be no 
equipment without training, and the DIA representative said 
he would pass that message.  The DIA representative later 
told the DATT that Army Chief of Staff Agwai was very upset 
with the activities of DHQ. 
 
-------------- 
Recommendation 
-------------- 
 
5.  (C)  Post strongly recommends moving quickly to keep up 
the momentum by sending a team or teams as soon as possible 
to meet with the Nigerian military on ACOTA training 
requirements and modalities.  General Ogomudia had seemed a 
roadblock; for now he on board.  There is also a lack of 
basic organizational infrastructure and transmission channels 
in DHQ, and moving quickly on getting the planning team(s) 
out here will help minimize that problem as well. 
CAMPBELL