NIGERIA: EMBASSY DELIVERS LETTER OF PROTEST TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002629 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF DAS PERRY; AF/W FOR ARIETTI E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2012 TAGS: PREL MOPS XY LI NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: EMBASSY DELIVERS LETTER OF PROTEST TO ECOWAS REF: A. ABUJA 2566 ¶B. STATE 167471 Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter; Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On September 6, the Ambassador wrote to ECOWAS Executive Secretary Mohammed Chambas regarding the circulation by the Liberian Government of an unauthorized ECOWAS military mission report alleging U.S./UK complicity and military support for the LURD. Dr. Chambas is scheduled to return to Abuja this week and we will follow up with Chambas on the course of action on this issue that he had previously outlined. For the record, following is the full package delivered to ECOWAS. ¶2. (C) (Ambassador's Cover Letter) Dear Dr. Chambas: I am forwarding you the text of a message from the Department of State expressing the serious concern with which the United States Government views the actions of representatives of the Government of Liberia in circulating to governments of ECOWAS member-states copies of the Draft Security Assessment Report of the ECOWAS Military Mission to Liberia. The sole reason that the Liberian Government has circulated the report is because the report unfortunately contains false allegations that the American and British governments support the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). This tack is being employed by the Liberian Government to discredit my government's efforts to seek a peaceful and equitable solution in Liberia, to create friction between ECOWAS and the United States Government, and to divert attention away from the real issues in Liberia, issues of poor governance, mismanagement and regional adventurism and destabilization. By way of this letter and attached message, we request the Secretariat issue a statement clarifying that the allegations SIPDIS in the draft report do not represent the official position of ECOWAS, that the allegations are untrue and unfounded, and that ECOWAS did not authorize the release of the draft report by Liberian representatives. We do not intend to release the text of this letter, but await your early response. ¶3. (C) (Beginning Text of Message) The United States is troubled that representatives of the Government of Liberia appear to be circulating, in various capitals, copies of the June 14, 2002 'Security Assessment Report of the ECOWAS Military Mission in Liberia'. In that report, the military team includes inaccurate, unattributed and diplomatically harmful statements regarding alleged American and British support to the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). Specifically, the report claims that the "LURD seems to be... enjoying discreet support from Kamajors of Sierra Leone, the USA and Britain." As we have often stated, the United States Government has not and does not provide military or other support to the LURD, either directly or through any third country. Rather, the United States has called on the LURD to cease its campaign of violence in Liberia and, along with the democratic opposition in Liberia, seek a peaceful resolution to that country's political troubles. Furthermore, the United States has called on regional governments to deny assistance to the LURD and other groups engaged in armed attacks into or within neighboring countries. Any such support to the LURD clearly runs counter to our mutual goal of stabilizing the Mano River Union region. We consider the participation of LURD leaders in recent political meetings with Liberian opposition figures to be a positive step. The apparent Liberian efforts to find an audience for the military assessment report would suggest a further level of bad faith on the part of that government. If the Government of Liberia is serious about national reconciliation, it must take a variety of confidence-building measures. It should lift the ban on public gatherings; release all political prisoners; agree to independent, credible mediation to set "rules of the road" for the 2003 elections, post-election policy, and disarmament; and in general seize the present opportunity to create genuine conditions for peace and economic recovery. While the LURD incursion can in no way be condoned, the failings of Liberia's current government form the basis for the country's ongoing political and economic decay. We ask that the ECOWAS Secretariat publicly correct the inaccurate allegations of U.S. and UK support for LURD military activities, at the earliest possible opportunity. ¶4. (C) Dr. Chambas was travelling when this letter was delivered but he has since returned and we await his response. We will inform the Department through official channels as soon as we receive a reply. JETER