CHARLES TAYLOR DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000114

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2015
TAGS: PREL SL LI NI
SUBJECT: CHARLES TAYLOR DEMARCHE

REF: STATE 8930

Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.5 (B & D).


1. (C) Ambassador presented reftel demarche and talking
points to MFA PermSec N.U.O. Nadibia-Anyanwu on January 19,
and also sent a copy to National Security Advisor Aliyu
Mohammed. The PermSec responded that such fears of Taylor's
influence had been investigated in the past and proved
overblown, but she would forward this newest and it would be
investigated. Taylor had more or less run out of sufficient
funds to influence Liberian politics, the PermSec noted, and
she hoped President Bryant would use his frequent visits to
Nigeria to provide the GON directly with any evidence he
might have of Taylor meddling.


2. (C) The PermSec was accompanied by MFA UnderSecretary for
Africa Ukonga, who added a new wrinkle to the PermSec's
restatement of GON policy on Taylor. Amb. Ukonga said Taylor
was prohibited from interfering in Liberian politics, not
prohibited from making telephone calls to Liberia per se.
"He is Liberian with family and friends there," she
continued, "it is natural that he calls them."


3. (C) The MFA PermSec and UnderSecretary said they had not
heard of the GON discussing transfer of Taylor to Sierra
Leone at UNSC request, as mentioned in the reftel talking
point. The GON had made no such proposal. The bottom line
for Nigeria, they said, was that President Obasanjo must keep
his word to keep Taylor in Nigeria until such time as a
democratically elected Liberian government requests further
action, as agreed with the other ECOWAS leaders at the time
and also with other countries such as the USG.
CAMPBELL