NIGERIA: PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001708

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013
TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE

REF: A. STATE 272470

B. STATE 254587


CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND

D.



1. (C) Embassy and the embassies of the other countries who
participated in the Ref A demarche in Abuja delivering the
PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles received an
substantive response from MFA Director for Regions
Olusanmokun on September 30, after a joint meeting with him
September 29. Olusanmokun responded that:


-- Nigeria plays an active role in all such anti-terrorism
and anti-proliferation frameworks, and in principle would be
interested in participating in PSI if a role is offered.


-- Nigeria likes the Statement's concrete approach, making
Nigerian participation even more likely if asked.



2. (C) That said, Olusanmokun continued, the Nigerian
Government (GON) believes no African countries currently have
Weapons of Mass Destruction programs, and small-arms
trafficking is a far more important and immediate problem for
African governments. Nigeria would therefore like to see if
the interdiction principles discussed in the PSI Statement
could be combined with programs to disrupt the small-arms
trade by land, sea and air. Both require similar
intelligence, legal and military tools, Olusanmokun contended.



3. (C) COMMENT: In the group setting here with Mr.
Olusanmokun, we were not able to raise the Ref A Question D
talking point that PSI interdiction efforts may be able to
use models from the prevention of narcotics trafficking.
Participants at the PSI conference in London, however, may
wish to discuss possible synergies with programs aimed at
small-arms trafficking as well as narcotics trafficking
programs, as a means of interesting African countries in the
Initiative.
MEECE