NIGERIA: LIBERIA DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001240

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2013
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS LI NI ECOWAS
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: LIBERIA DEMARCHE

REF: STATE 207082


CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR HOWARD F. JETER; REASONS 1.5 (B)
AND (D).



1. (C) A/DCM delivered reftel demarche July 18 to Foreign
Affairs Permanent Secretary Daniel Hart. Ambassador Hart
said the USG position that the Nigerian contingent to be
deployed to Liberia should be comprised of battalions
trained under Operation Focus Relief (OFR) made "good
sense." A/DCM Browne also expressed the need for as much
clarity as possible in the total number of troops ECOWAS
envisioned for the deployment and a precise breakdown of
how many troops were to come from ECOWAS countries and how
many were expected from outside ECOWAS. A/DCM emphasized
to Hart that we had not made any decision on deployment of
U.S. troops or any other assistance we might supply to the
Liberian deployment, but that precise information on the
composition of the proposed force was vital to U.S.
planning. Hart said he would contact us after conferring
with the Chief of Defense Staff on both issues.



2. (C) Finally, Ambassador Hart agreed all ECOWAS states
must stop the flow of arms to Liberia and must exert
pressure on the LURD and MODEL not to take action that
would damage the cease-fire. He stated that the reason
underlying President Obasanjo's recent visit to Conakry was
to persuade the Guineans to use their influence to
encourage the LURD behave responsibly. He recognized that
fellow ECOWAS states must mount a sustained effort to
preach this message to Conakry as well as to Abidjan with
regard to Liberia's other anti-Taylor faction, MODEL.



3. (C) Discussion of recent developments in Sao Tome and
Principe to be reported SEPTEL.
JETER