NIGERIA: RESPONSE TO UN RESOLUTION ON CUBA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001229 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPT FOR AF/W AND IO GENEVA FOR FOLEY, ALSO FOR SCOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2007 TAGS: PREL PHUM UNHRC NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: RESPONSE TO UN RESOLUTION ON CUBA REF: ABUJA 1218 CLASSIFIED BY CDA ANDREWS FOR REASONS 1.5(B) and (D) ¶1. (C/NF) A senior official of Nigeria's Foreign Ministry contacted us at about 1000 Abuja time (0900Z) to inform us that, at the level of the Foreign Ministry, a decision had been made to "support the other guy." Asked if the USG had any hope of reversing that decision, the official said, "Maybe if you go to a higher level." The official noted that the information he was providing us was probably "secret." ¶2. (C) We were unable to reach anyone in the Presidency's international affairs or national security offices. But CDA did reach the Principal Secretary. We explained that we believed MFA might have sent instructions to Geneva in the (inaccurate) belief that this year's Cuba resolution was the same one Nigeria always voted against and that, if President Obasanjo were to see how mild and positive for democracy and human rights the Uruguayan draft was, he might be inclined to change those instructions. ¶3. (C) The Principal Secretary asked if we had any documentation to offer; if so, he would put them before the President at noon. Emboff quickly delivered a copy of our Note and the Uruguayan draft (reftel.) Andrews