NIGERIA: NSA MOHAMMED DISCUSSES SUDAN, DROC,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002982

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR AF, AF/W, AF/RA AND AF/E
DEPT ALSO PASS TO SPECIAL ENVOY DANFORTH
LONDON, PARIS, ROME, OSLO FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
CAIRO FOR MAXSTADT
NSC FOR FRAZER AND MILLER
DIA FOR J.GERHARD


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2011
TAGS: PREL PTER CG SU BY NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: NSA MOHAMMED DISCUSSES SUDAN, DROC,
BURUNDI


(U) Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter; Reasons 1.5 (b)
and (d).



1. (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Jeter, accompanied by PolCouns and
PolMilOff, called on NSA Aliyu Mohammed on November 11. The
President's Special Coordinator for Sudan, Dr. Usman Bugaje
also attended. This message covers their conversation on
Nigeria's foreign affairs efforts.



2. (C) SUMMARY CONTINUED: Stymied on recent Sudan and DROC
efforts, NSA Mohammed and Bugaje described Nigeria's efforts
thus far, but without much sense of next steps. The Sudan
conference is postponed, and Nigeria is looking to Senator
Danforth's trip for direction. The key players on the DROC,
Kabila, Bemba and Osunumba, have agreed to another try for an
Abuja meeting, but no date has yet been set. The NSA agreed
to pass a matrix outlining anti-terrorism treaty ratification
status to the President for review. END SUMMARY.


===============
SUDAN POSTPONED
===============



3. (C) Special Sudan Coordinator, Dr. Usman Bugaje, described
Nigerian efforts on Sudan. Bugaje emphasized that Nigeria's
only goal in holding the now postponed conference was to
provide a venue for consensus-building; it was never intended
as a negotiating forum. In the GON's view, the event was not
important, only the outcome. Bugaje said that he believed
the GOS thought the process was moving too quickly;
therefore, it was better to postpone. Asked about SPLM views
on the conference, Bugaje said that the SPLM had been "keen
to attend," and the NDA had even sought extra invitations,
but there were some (not further identified) who did not want
a resolution of the conflict, because "peace would cost them
their positions."



4. (C) Ambassador Jeter noted that, in response to President
Obasanjo's request, the USG had explained to Egypt that
Nigeria was not trying to hijack the Sudan peace process, and
wondered what Egypt's concerns might have been. Bugaje said
he thought that the Egyptians were afraid of any effort that
they could not control because they feared that such an
effort could lead to a divided Sudan. President Obasanjo had
written to Mubarak to explain that Nigeria would never seek
division of Sudan; on the contrary, Nigeria supported greater
integration on the Continent, not fragmentation of existing
states. In any case, Bugaje said that Nigeria looks forward
to hearing about Senator Danforth's upcoming trip, which
should inform the GON on the next steps it might take.


================
WHITHER BURUNDI?
================



5. (C) Complimenting the NSA on President Obasanjo's support
for peace in Burundi, the Ambassador asked about Nigeria's
next steps. The NSA said Nigeria would send a battalion to
support the effort, but he was not sure when or where the
funding would come from. He was also unsure who might
replace Mandela.


=======================
DROC - ANOTHER MEETING?
=======================



6. (C) Agreeing that the Congolese National Dialogue meetings
in Addis were not successful, the NSA said he believed many
of the Addis participants would not attend the meeting in
South Africa. Nigeria had tried to help with the disarmament
process by asking President Kabila to contain his Minister of
Security, but Kabila was a blood nephew of the Minister and
was not willing or able to challenge his senior uncle.
Nigeria was trying to schedule another meeting in Abuja with
Kabila, Bemba and Osunumba, but had not yet set a date.


==========================
ANTI-TERRORISM CONVENTIONS
==========================



7. (C) Ambassador Jeter passed the NSA a matrix on the status
of signature and ratification of anti-terrorism conventions
of West African states, and requested that Nigeria work
toward signature and ratification of the treaties. The NSA,
looking over the document (which makes for easy comparison
among ECOWAS states),said the matrix made it apparent that
Nigeria was not doing too well, and said he would pass the
paper to the President for review.


=======
COMMENT
=======



8. (C) COMMENT: Most of Nigeria's recent conflict resolution
efforts have been stymied by unwilling participants.
Nevertheless, Nigeria will continue to engage on the
Continent. Regional and indeed Continental stability remains
the watchword of Nigeria's foreign policy. END COMMENT.
Jeter