US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1240

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001240 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, MASS, LI, NI, ECOWAS 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: LIBERIA DEMARCHE 
 
REF: STATE 207082 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR HOWARD F. JETER; REASONS 1.5 (B) 
AND (D). 
 
 
1.  (C) A/DCM delivered reftel demarche July 18 to Foreign 
Affairs Permanent Secretary Daniel Hart.  Ambassador Hart 
said the USG position that the Nigerian contingent to be 
deployed to Liberia should be comprised of battalions 
trained under Operation Focus Relief (OFR) made "good 
sense."  A/DCM Browne also expressed the need for as much 
clarity as possible in the total number of troops ECOWAS 
envisioned for the deployment and a precise breakdown of 
how many troops were to come from ECOWAS countries and how 
many were expected from outside ECOWAS.  A/DCM emphasized 
to Hart that we had not made any decision on deployment of 
U.S. troops or any other assistance we might supply to the 
Liberian deployment, but that precise information on the 
composition of the proposed force was vital to U.S. 
planning.  Hart said he would contact us after conferring 
with the Chief of Defense Staff on both issues. 
 
 
2.  (C) Finally, Ambassador Hart agreed all ECOWAS states 
must stop the flow of arms to Liberia and must exert 
pressure on the LURD and MODEL not to take action that 
would damage the cease-fire.  He stated that the reason 
underlying President Obasanjo's recent visit to Conakry was 
to persuade the Guineans to use their influence to 
encourage the LURD behave responsibly.  He recognized that 
fellow ECOWAS states must mount a sustained effort to 
preach this message to Conakry as well as to Abidjan with 
regard to Liberia's other anti-Taylor faction, MODEL. 
 
 
3.  (C) Discussion of recent developments in Sao Tome and 
Principe to be reported SEPTEL. 
JETER