CHARLES TAYLOR AND THE SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001049

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM LI NI
SUBJECT: CHARLES TAYLOR AND THE SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT

REF: A. ABUJA 896


B. ABUJA 445

C. ABUJA 312

D. 03 ABUJA 1996

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN CAMPBELL FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Charles Taylor's status in Nigeria is unlikely to be
affected in the short term by the recent Special Court for
Sierra Leone (SCSL) ruling that it has jurisdiction to try
him for war crimes in Sierra Leone. As President Obasanjo
told us in March (Ref B),he plans to allow Taylor to stay in
Nigeria until a democratically elected (i.e. post-October
2005) Liberian government requests that Taylor be returned to
Liberia.


2. (C) Foreign Minister Adeniji reiterated the GON stance in
a television interview June 7, saying the international
community had reached consensus that Taylor should get out of
Liberia and Nigeria had accepted him on the basis of that
consensus. No pressure was being put on Nigeria to send him
to any tribunal, FM Adeniji continued, and it would be
unrealistic to do so at this time due to the repercussions on
the peace and stability of Liberia and the region.
CAMPBELL