US embassy cable - 02ABUJA2752

Disclaimer: This site has been first put up 15 years ago. Since then I would probably do a couple things differently, but because I've noticed this site had been linked from news outlets, PhD theses and peer rewieved papers and because I really hate the concept of "digital dark age" I've decided to put it back up. There's no chance it can produce any harm now.

MGIV01: NIGERIAN OUTLOOK ON COTE D'IVOIRE

Identifier: 02ABUJA2752
Wikileaks: View 02ABUJA2752 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abuja
Created: 2002-09-26 16:53:00
Classification: SECRET//NOFORN
Tags: PREL MOPS PINS IV NI
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

S E C R E T ABUJA 002752 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
 
 
NOFORN 
 
 
E.O.12598:DECL: 09/27/12 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PINS, IV, NI 
SUBJECT: MGIV01: NIGERIAN OUTLOOK ON COTE D'IVOIRE 
 
REF: STATE 1835335 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY DCM ANDREWS. REASONS 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
 
1. (C) On September 25, DCM delivered reftel points to 
National Security Advisor Aliyu Mohammed and PolCouns 
carried the same message to the Presidential 
International Affairs Advisor Ad'Obe Obe. Both 
officials confirmed Nigeria did not favor a resort to 
force and endorsed a negotiated resolution of the 
impasse. 
 
 
2. (S/NF) NSA Mohammed expressed concern about reports 
of the Gbagbo government harassment of opposition 
parties and figures, including Bedie and Ouattara. The 
NSA advised President Obasanjo to urge Gbagbo to stop 
the harassment before it generated further 
instability. He added that the senior-level GON 
military delegation had returned from Abidjan and had 
provided their assessment. Mohammed acknowledged 
Nigeria would send five Alpha jets to Cote d'Ivoire 
based on a request for assistance from the Gbagbo 
government. However, Mohammed stressed Nigeria would 
only deploy ground troops under ECOWAS aegis. Note: 
The GON eventually sent three Alpha jets and two 
attack helicopters to Cote d' Ivoire, according to 
information acquired through DOD sources.  End Note. 
 
 
3. (C) Presidential Advisor Obe underscored GON 
concern that the situation be resolved peacefully but 
relatively quickly. With accusing Ivoirien fingers 
already pointing at Burkina Faso, a protracted impasse 
with the rebels would only increase tension between 
the two countries and foment more xenophobia and 
harassment of opposition figures within Cote d'Ivoire. 
Fearing that Gbagbo militants had taken the failed 
putsch as a license to target his opponents, many 
people have gone into hiding, with Ouattara allegedly 
finding respite in the French Ambassador's residence. 
 
 
4. (C) On September 26, the ECOWAS Executive 
Secretary's Military Advisor, Colonel Dixon Dikio, 
 
SIPDIS 
told PolCouns that Executive Secretary Chambas had 
gone to Abidjan and Ouagadougou on a fact-finding 
mission. He expected Chambas to return to Abuja 
September 27.  Dikio also stated that the emergency 
ECOWAS Summit on Cote d'Ivoire had been pushed back to 
October 5 vice September 28. 
 
 
Jeter 

Latest source of this page is cablebrowser-2, released 2011-10-04