NIGERIA: NSA MOHAMMED DICUSSES THE WCAR,

1. (C) Ambassador Jeter, accompanied by PolMilOff, called on
NSA Aliyu Mohammed on August 22. LTC Idris, the NSA's
Military Advisor also attended. This message summarizes
their discussion on the WCAR, trafficking in persons, and
HIV/AIDS.


====
WCAR
====




2. (C) Mohammed stated that he had talked to Dr. Condoleeza
Rice and to NSC Senior Africa Director Frazer on the WCAR.
Nigeria planned to attend the conference in Durban (the
President would lead the delegation), but would not support
any demands for reparations, point fingers at Israel, or
equate Zionism with racism. He hoped the U.S. would attend
the conference.




3. (C) Ambassador Jeter thanked Mohammed for Nigeria's
commendable efforts at the Geneva PrepCom to make the WCAR
forward looking rather than dwelling on the past. It was
clear that some progress had been made in Geneva, but it
appeared that hard-line positions on the Middle East might
still overshadow the good that might come out of the
conference. This was particularly unfortunate since it could
detract from a serious international effort to work against a
serious international problem. Mohammed said the GON would
continue to do all it could to move the WCAR in a positive
direction.


============================================= ======
INTERNATIONAL TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE: INVITATION TO PRESIDENT
BUSH
============================================= ======




4. (C) Mohammed stated that Nigeria was planning to host an
international conference on human trafficking in May, April
or June of 2002. President Obasanjo took trafficking very
seriously, and was planning to meet with some of the 40 women
returned from Italy via Guinea that afternoon. He noted that
three witnesses were being brought from Guinea to assist in
the prosecution of the traffickers, but lamented that Nigeria
did not have a strong law against traffickers or their
illegal activities. He said, however, that the President was
sending a Bill to the National Assembly to increase the
penalties against traffickers.




5. (C) The NSA then mentioned President Bush's letter
responding to President Obasanjo's invitation to visit
Nigeria (dated July 2, 2001). Mohammed, smiling, said that
if President Bush came to Africa next year, the GON hoped he
would visit Nigeria. If President Bush were planning a trip
to the Continent, the GON would schedule the trafficking
conference to coincide with his visit so the President could
address the gathering, if President Bush desired to do so.




6. (C) Ambassador Jeter said he would pass this message to
Washington. The Ambassador informed the NSA that the Embassy
would host an inter-Mission conference on trafficking in
October in Lagos, to begin the development of a USG strategy
on trafficking involving West Africa. The NSA was very
supportive, and stated that after President Obasanjo's trip
to China, he would like the Embassy to sit down with him and
his staff to plan the agenda for the 2002 international
conference. (NOTE: Later that evening, Ambassador Jeter
mentioned the Embassy's trafficking conference to the World
Bank Representative, Mark Tomlinson. Tomlinson stated that
the World Bank would be most interested in joining this
event. END NOTE).


========
HIV/AIDS
========




7. (C) Ambassador Jeter said he was very concerned that not
enough was being done to make ordinary Nigerians aware of the
risks of HIV/AIDS, or the GON's clear commitment to fighting
the disease. He informed the NSA that he planned to suggest
to the President that he hold a conference with all 36
governors to raise the profile of the HIV/AIDS issue in
Nigeria, a proposal that had been put to him by several
health NGO's working in Nigeria. The NSA said the President
had allocated USD 10 million to the Nigerian Council on
HIV/AIDS, of which the President is Chairman. He also said
that President Obasanjo had directed that free condoms be
distributed to all Nigerian soldiers participating in
peacekeeping missions.


8. (U) Freetown minimize considered.
Jeter