NIGERIA: ARMY MINISTER UPDATE ON OFR AND UNAMSIL

UNCLAS ABUJA 002300 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MASS MARR SL NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ARMY MINISTER UPDATE ON OFR AND UNAMSIL ISSUES REF: A. ABUJA 2297 ¶B. ABUJA 2218 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) Army Minister 14 September called PolMilOff on OFR and UNAMSIL issues discussed in recent weeks. Batagarawa stated that he had spoken with Comptroller General of Customs, who had agreed to give his clearance to the container carrying some OFR items from Ghana stuck at the land border. The Army Minister said he expected to have the OFR MOI in his hands by Wednesday, 19 September. He said he anticipated that the MOI could be signed shortly thereafter. (He was clearly frustrated with the internal MOD handling of the issue.) ¶2. (SBU) Finally, Batagarawa said he had instructed the Nigerian Defense Advisor to the UN to work with USUN personnel to do what is necessary to get the Nigerian vehicles in Sierra Leone covered by the LOA. ¶3. (U) Freetown minimize considered. Andrews