US embassy cable - 05ABUJA1154

UNCLAS ABUJA 001154 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KUNR, AORC, NI, UNSC 
SUBJECT: UN REFORM DEMARCHES DELIVERED: NIGERIA AGREES 
WITH MOST ITEMS, BUT INSISTS ON PERMANENT UNSC 
MEMBERSHIP FOR AFRICA 
 
REF: (A) STATE 119812 (B) STATE 111637 (C) STATE 111657 
(D) STATE 114051 (E) STATE 119897 
 
1.   (U) On the morning of June 29 at the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Abuja, Acting DCM delivered 
reftel demarches on UN reform to Ambassador Anigbo, 
Director of the First United Nations Division of the 
MFA.  Poloff served as notetaker. 
 
2.   (U) A/DCM delivered talking points in Ref A, 
encouraging Nigeria to keep an open mind on UN reform 
negotiations and allow for thorough discussion of all 
issues, then handed Anigbo a 15-page non-paper 
comprised of the consolidated talking points in Refs B- 
E.  Anigbo responded that Nigeria is solidly for 
freedom from want, freedom from fear, and freedom from 
indignity, and that Nigeria both expects and 
appreciates leadership from Washington on these issues. 
 
3.   (SBU) A/DCM then covered talking points in the 15- 
page non-paper, highlighting the six priority areas 
with special emphasis on the Secretary General's 
proposals to reform the Human Rights Commission.  When 
A/DCM finished, Anigbo stated that Nigeria agreed "more 
or less" with the USG's position, but the area of 
Security Council restructuring was where Nigeria "has 
problems."  Many countries, he said, support "Option 
B," but most of Africa supports "Option A," in which 
both permanent and non-permanent seats on the Security 
Council would be increased.  He insisted, "Any change 
that does not reform the permanent category is no 
change at all."  He stated that developing countries 
share Africa's concern about reform and want 
"democratization" of the permanent membership, where 
"one vote can nullify the votes of 199 countries."  He 
complained that all five permanent members of the 
Security Council are from "the North," while there are 
no members from "the South." 
 
4.   (SBU) Anigbo asked rhetorically where all of the 
security challenges facing the UN were--civil wars, 
conflict, poverty, hunger, and AIDS--and answered, "All 
in Africa, but Africa does not participate in policy 
and decision making because it is not in the right 
category on the Security Council."  To buttress his 
argument, he noted that peacekeeping is not just a 
Third World concern but an African domain, yet Africans 
have no say in peacekeeping decisions that affect them. 
Finally, he stated, "Our clamor for reform is based on 
our exclusion from decisions and the need for our 
voices to be heard.  The U.S. needs to be more 
flexible, and not restrict Africa to non-permanent 
seats" on the Security Council.  He acknowledged that 
change would have to be incremental, and he is in 
agreement with the U.S. on humanitarian issues.  He 
also sees no major differences on non-proliferation and 
disarmament issues. 
 
5.   (SBU) Shifting gears, Anigbo expressed 
satisfaction with the fact that the U.S. had taken 
positions in favor of UN reform.  He said many 
countries had wondered whether the U.S. really supports 
UN reform at all, and now they can see that the U.S. 
does. 
 
5.  (SBU) Biographical Note:  Ambassador Anigbo was 
recently promoted to Director of the First United 
Nations Division, replacing Ambassador Abdul Rimdap, 
who became Director of the International Organizations 
Division.  Anigbo served at the Nigerian embassy in 
Washington for four years in the mid-1990s, then served 
in Singapore, then was named Ambassador to Trinidad and 
Tobago.  He returned to Nigeria for extended training 
before his current position at the MFA.  He holds a 
Ph.D. and has authored a book on brain drain and the 
Nigerian diaspora.  End Biographical Note. 
 
CAMPBELL