SANCTIONS/DARFUR DEMARCHE DELIVERED; MINDEF ALSO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001347

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2014
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS PGOV PHUM NI DARFUR
SUBJECT: SANCTIONS/DARFUR DEMARCHE DELIVERED; MINDEF ALSO
TALKS ABOUT POLIO, U.S. OUTREACH TO MUSLIMS

REF: STATE 155894

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


1. (C) Summary. The Ambassador delivered reftel demarche
to the Minister of Defense, who was optimistic the President
would deliver the requested speech on military
accountability, but he had not spoken to the President
regarding Nigeria's role in the Darfur peacekeeping mission.
The Minister, who was defeated in the 2003 Kano State
governor's election, also spoke freely to the Ambassador
about the polio vaccine boycott there, and the need for
greater U.S. outreach to the Muslim community of the north.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) On August 3, Minister of Defense Dr. Rabiu
Kwankwaso summoned the Ambassador to a meeting at the
Ministry. Also present at the meeting were Minister of State
Dr. Rowland Oritsejafor, Special Assistant to the Minister of
Defense Dr. Hafiz Abubakar, and Poloff (notetaker).


3. (C) Kwankwaso had just returned from a meeting in the
U.S. with A/S Newman. He said they had discussed the 2001
Zaki-Biam ("Benue") massacre again, along with Nigeria's role
in the Darfur peacekeeping mission. Kwankwaso told the
Ambassador that he was concerned about the enduring Zaki-Biam
issue because Nigeria's relationship with the U.S. is
"excellent," insisting that President Obasanjo is doing
everything that could possibly be done (and "doesn't sleep"
over Zaki-Biam, he added).


4. (C) The Ambassador said that there are indications that
congressional opinions were moving toward support for
restoration of the U.S.-Nigeria military training
relationship, as in both countries' interest. The Ambassador
delivered the requested talking points on military
accountability, explaining that while nevertheless there was
no guarantee sanctions would be lifted, Nigeria's action
would provide positive signals.


5. (C) Kwankwaso responded by immediately suggesting
possible venues for the military accountability speech to be
delivered, and asked if Obasanjo needed to deliver it
himself, or whether he could send the speech to be delivered
by someone else on his behalf. The Ambassador answered that
it was important for the President himself to deliver the
speech. Kwankwaso said he would draft a paragraph and show
it to the president. He was "happy," he said, and he
expected the President to be happy too. The Ambassador
offered talking points (reftel) to assist with drafting the
speech, which Poloff delivered to Kwankwaso's office shortly
after the meeting.


6. (SBU) On Darfur, Kwankwaso said he had not met with
Obasanjo since Kwankwaso's return from the U.S., but he knows
that Obasanjo is not happy with the situation there and feels
that it must be stopped. Kwankwaso promised to contact the
Ambassador again after meeting with Obasanjo.


7. (C) When the Ambassador mentioned his upcoming visit to
Kano August 4-6, Kwankwaso, who was defeated in the 2003 Kano
State governor's election, freely shared his impressions of
Kano Governor Shekarau's handling of the polio vaccination
campaign. He said that Shekarau had a tiger by the tail with
the polio vaccine boycott, shaping public opinion by speaking
against the vaccine for some ten months for frivolous
reasons, then expecting the public to follow his direction
when he reversed course and said the vaccine was safe. To
support his theory, Kwankwaso said that in the Kano State
village where the vaccination campaign recently restarted,
two people were killed in community violence, an incident not
reported by newspapers. Shekarau, he said, had had no
contact with Westerners from primary school through his
university years, so his worldview was limited. Comment:
Shekarau, a member of the opposition All Nigerian People's
Party (ANPP) and a surprise winner over the ruling People's
Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate Kwankwaso in
2003, has been a thorn in the side of Obasanjo and the PDP
since his election. End Comment.


8. (C) A native of north Nigeria, Kwankwaso supported the
American Corners opening in Kano because the U.S. needed to
have a greater presence in the north. In Kwankwaso's
childhood, he had an American schoolteacher, and there were
other Americans around the north, including the Peace Corps
and the Voluntary Service Organization (VSO). Now there is
little U.S. contact with the north, and others have filled
the vacuum with anti-U.S. propaganda. While there are no
"extremists" in Nigeria, he said, and no one "willing to put
a bomb on his body," Kwankwaso wondered whether the lack of
Western contact would leave future generations of Nigerians
susceptible to terrorist recruiting. Kwankwaso told the
Ambassador he should "tell Washington to send more money,"
because it is "disheartening to see young men misled."


9. (SBU) The Ambassador said he had had preliminary
conversations with Vice President Atiku regarding the
reintroduction of Peace Corps to Nigeria, and was waiting for
an invitation from Nigeria to the Peace Corps. Kwankwaso
said he would talk to the President about asking the Ministry
of Education to write the invitation. The Ambassador said he
would meet with Atiku again upon Atiku's return from his U.S.
vacation in about three weeks.


10. (C) Comment. While the reception from Kwankwaso was
positive and encouraging, he is clearly not a member of
Obasanjo's inner circle. Nonetheless, he seemed certain that
Obasanjo would be receptive to the idea of giving a public
statement on military accountability, so the Embassy might
finally be able to report some progress by the GON on the
nagging Zaki-Biam issue. End Comment.
CAMPBELL