US embassy cable - 05ABUJA1873

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001873 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, LI, NI, ECOWAS 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA/LIBERIA:GENERAL ABUBAKAR ON ECOWAS AND THE 
LIBERIA ELECTION 
 
REF: A. STATE 180464 
     B. ABUJA 1862 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d). 
 
1.  (C)  The Ambassador, with PolMilOff, met with CPA 
Mediator and former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar the 
evening of September 29 to deliver Ref A points, which were 
left as a nonpaper.  Abubakar accepted the U.S. position and 
said that it is "in the line of our thinking."  His response 
did not differ substantively from that of the Executive 
Secretary of ECOWAS reported in Ref B.  Abubakar did, 
 
SIPDIS 
however, say that ECOWAS had decided to send a letter to the 
NTGL Chairman saying that the Supreme Court of Liberia 
derives its powers from the CPA and that the court should not 
do anything to hamper that peace agreement and that the 
Liberian elections should go forward on October 11.  He said 
that these points would be included in the ECOWAS Heads of 
State communiqu that will be issued following the October 1 
Summit.  The communiqu appear to replace the public 
statement discussed by Chambas with the Ambassador earlier in 
the day. 
 
2.  (C)  Abubakar said that he will meet with Chairman Bryant 
and with Dr. Chambas the evening of the 29th, in advance of 
the Summit.  He will also be meeting with President Obasanjo 
and with President Tandja prior to Friday's meeting. 
CAMPBELL