NIGERIA: EXPANDED AU DARFUR PROTECTION FORCE

UNCLAS ABUJA 001382

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR PM/RSAT AND AF/RSA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MOPS SU NI DARFUR
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: EXPANDED AU DARFUR PROTECTION FORCE
POSSIBILITY

REF: A. STATE 167023


B. AF/SPG (SMITH) E-MAIL 8/10/04

C. ABUJA 1380

D. ABUJA 1347

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR PUBLICATION ON THE
INTERNET OR INTRANET.


1. (SBU) As reported Refs C and D and in e-mails, Nigeria is
providing both military observers and a unit for the military
protection force, and (as AU chair) is heavily involved in
talks with the Sudanese on expansion of the protection force.
Post has been in constant contact with the GON on supporting
the deployment until the Ref B e-mail asking us to hand off
to the UK for supporting the Nigerian deployment, and we
continue to work with both the British and the Nigerians to
make that deployment a success. The Nigerians told us August
11 was that they have issued orders to stand up their
military unit for deployment. The order covers the entire
home unit of the soldiers who will be deployed, and for the
purposes of Ref A does not determine how large the force
deployed will actually be. The GON is still involved in AU
discussions, and the force deployed could be larger depending
on those discussions.


2. (SBU) The British said, however, that Nigeria's DOD
informed them August 11 that it still did not know that the
support for moving the Nigerian unit would come from the UK,
not the U.S. This was despite the British High
Commissioner's meeting with President Obasanjo to inform him
of the UK's commitment. We believe it is just a problem of
moving information from the Presidency down the chain of
command, and we will continue to monitor this issue as well.
CAMPBELL