US embassy cable - 05ABUJA1526

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PGOV, OVIP, KDEM, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: PRESIDENT OBASANJO ON U.S. AMBASSADOR TO 
THE AU, MAURITANIA COUP, AND CARTER VISIT 
 
REF: A. US SECRET SERVICE WASHINGTON DC 3828 
     B. SECSTATE 150159 
     C. SECSTATE 151355 
     D. ABUJA 1479 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  The Ambassador met with President 
Obasanjo in his villa private quarters on the morning of 
August 18.  Poloff served as notetaker.  Obasanjo supported 
the nomination of a U.S. ambassador to the African Union, 
discussed the coup in Mauritania, and welcomed the visit to 
Nigeria by former President Carter.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
"Will Try to Sell" Naming U.S. Ambassador to AU 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador said that the U.S. planned to create 
a new position of Ambassador to the African Union (AU) to 
be based in Addis Ababa (Ref B).  Obasanjo said he would 
support the idea and discuss it with President Konare, 
Chairman of the AU Commission.  He said the position would 
be helpful because the AU is trying to be more active, and 
was now meeting at summit level two times a year.  Obasanjo 
concluded by saying he would "try to sell" the idea. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
AU to Mauritania:  Combat Slavery and Terrorism 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
3.  (C) The Ambassador handed Obasanjo the Department's 
press guidance on the coup in Mauritania (Ref C), and 
Obasanjo read it carefully.  He said that it paralleled his 
own thinking.  He added that he had raised two additional 
things with the Mauritanian transitional government: 
first, Mauritania must abolish slavery, and second, the 
country must have an aggressive anti-terrorism stance. 
Both of these items, he said, are "very important."  He 
told the Ambassador that Mauritania was "one part of Africa 
where slavery is still going on," and it must be stopped. 
He said the military government could accomplish these two 
goals while in power, and that the AU would continue to 
have a dialogue with the junta.  He told the Ambassador 
that the Mauritanian representative would be his next 
meeting that morning. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Interested in Meeting President Carter 
-------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Obasanjo said he'd heard about the upcoming visit 
of former President Jimmy Carter from September 11-13 (Ref 
A), and asked his staff to check on his travel schedule. 
He planned overseas trips to Mexico, Brazil, and Spain, 
before going to the UNGA meeting in New York in September, 
but he hoped to be able to meet with President Carter. 
(Note:  His staff is concerned about the President's 
September travel schedule, before he goes to the UNGA.  End 
Note.) 
 
--------------- 
Biographic Note 
--------------- 
 
5.  (C) The President was warm, engaged, and energetic.  At 
the meeting with northern Governors on August 8 (Ref D), he 
seemed to have a low energy level, coughing and blowing his 
nose loudly with his microphone switched on.  His cold 
symptoms had disappeared by the August 18 meeting, and he 
was in good health. 
CAMPBELL