DUTCH PUSH FOR TAYLOR TO FACE SPECIAL COURT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002597 SIPDIS S/WCI FOR PROSPER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2013 TAGS: PREL KAWC LI NL SUBJECT: DUTCH PUSH FOR TAYLOR TO FACE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE REF: A. RICHARD-WITMER EMAIL 10/9 B.... 11329 2003-10-10 03THEHAGUE2597 Embassy The Hague CONFIDENTIAL C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002597 SIPDIS S/WCI FOR PROSPER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2013 TAGS: PREL KAWC LI NL SUBJECT: DUTCH PUSH FOR TAYLOR TO FACE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE REF: A. RICHARD-WITMER EMAIL 10/9 ¶B. WITMER-HOLLIDAY EMAILS 9-22 THRU 10-7 Classified By: PolCouns Mary E. Daly reasons 1.5 (b) ¶1. (C) Dutch Prime Minister Jan Balkenende approached Nigerian President Obasanjo on the margins of the UNGA in New York. The GoNL strongly maintains that former Liberian President Charles Taylor must face his indictment at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and Balkenende encouraged Obasanjo to address this issue. MFA contacts reported to PolOff that Obasanjo acknowledged that he agrees Taylor should eventually face the Court. However, the Nigerian President stated that action now to force Taylor to do so could negatively impede the peace process in Liberia. Obasanjo wants to wait to address this issue until the peace process has a chance to get off the ground. ¶2. (C) Dutch MFA Deputy Head for West Africa Roel van der Veen interpreted Obasanjo's comments as a positive. The GoNL previously had concerns that Nigeria would oppose Taylor's need to face his indictment due to his asylum deal, and were pleased to hear otherwise. Appreciative of Obasanjo's viewpoint, the Dutch plan to wait one to two months to allow the peace process to develop. Following such a period, Van der Veen expects that the GoNL will ask the EU to approach Nigeria formally to request action. ¶3. (C) Note: The Dutch have brought up Taylor's court indictment at several EU Africa working group meetings since Taylor's departure from Liberia. The GoNL has been disheartened by the lack of interest from fellow member states. Van der Veen reports that the GoNL will not let Taylor's indictment be forgotten. He does not expect any other member state to broach this issue in the following months; however, the GoNL will not block EU action in the upcoming months if proposed by another member state. End note. SOBEL