US embassy cable - 02ABUJA2016

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002016 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
 
 
E.O.12958: DECL: 07/03/12 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MOPS, XY, LI, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ECOWAS REPORT WILL NOT CONTAIN FALSE 
ACCUSATIONS ABOUT THE US AND UK 
 
REF: STATE 126028 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR HOWARD F. JETER. REASON 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
 
1. (C) During a July 3 meeting, Ambassador Jeter 
raised reftel points with ECOWAS Acting Executive 
Secretary (Deputy Executive Secretary for Economic 
 
SIPDIS 
Integration) Mame Sen, and Colonel Dixon Dikio, 
Military Advisor to the Executive Secretary. Both 
Executive Secretary Chambas and Deputy Executive 
Secretary for Political Affairs Diarra had left 
 
SIPDIS 
Nigeria and were in route to Durban for the OAU/AU 
Summit. 
 
 
2. (C) Sen expressed surprise at the allegations of 
collusion with the LURD. He had not seen the actual 
report but received an oral briefing from the ECOWAS 
Representative in Monrovia and these allegations were 
not mentioned during the briefing. The more informed 
Dikio acknowledged the field report from the 
assessment team that visited Monrovia mentioned "it 
was possible that Guinea, the UK and US were 
supporting the LURD." However, Dikio assured us that 
this charge was not contained in the condensed report 
the Secretariat prepared and sent to ECOWAS Chairman, 
Senegalese President Wade. 
 
 
3. (C) Dikio explained that the assessment team's 
mandate was to collect information from various 
sources in Liberia and make a comprehensive report to 
the Secretariat. The team interviewed a wide range of 
contacts including GOL officials, opposition leaders, 
religious leaders, members of civil society groups, 
etc. While the team was to gather information, the 
Secretariat's role was to weigh the credibility of the 
 
SIPDIS 
information before submission to the Heads of State. 
Thus, the subject allegations never reflected the 
views of the ECOWAS Secretariat, he stressed; instead, 
in reporting the allegations the team was reporting 
what it had heard while in Liberia.  Dikio stated that 
both Chambas and he recognized the import and 
sensitivity of the accusations. Moreover, since the 
field report did not cite any corroborating evidence 
or attribute the allegations to a credible source, 
they gave the charges little weight and decided to 
expunge them from the Secretariat's final report. 
However, just to be sure, Chambas raised the issue 
with the UK Deputy High Commissioner. Once Chambas 
heard the UK's denial, he was convinced the 
allegations should be excised from the report. 
Convinced by the UK denial, Chambas saw no reason to 
raise this with the US, Dikio recalled. Dikio assured 
the Ambassador that ECOWAS would never allow such a 
serious allegation to pass, given the close 
relationship that exits between ECOWAS and the Embassy 
and the close personal relationship between the 
Executive Secretary and the Ambassador. 
 
 
4.  (C) Promotion of better relations between the Mano 
River States was another reason the allegations did 
not survive the editing process. Dikio mentioned that 
Guinean and Sierra Leonean diplomats in Monrovia 
stated that relations with the GOL were improving and 
underscored that care must be taken not to rock the 
boat. Dikio stated that even President Taylor had 
remarked to the assessment team about an upswing in 
the bilateral relationship with Guinea.  To preserve 
and nurture this trend, the Secretariat felt it would 
be better not to pass to ECOWAS Heads of State 
unsubstantiated allegations about Guinea being a 
conduit of support to the LURD. 
 
 
JETER