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