UN REFORM DEMARCHES DELIVERED: NIGERIA AGREES

UNCLAS ABUJA 001154

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KUNR AORC NI UNSC
SUBJECT: UN REFORM DEMARCHES DELIVERED: NIGERIA AGREES
WITH MOST ITEMS, BUT INSISTS ON PERMANENT UNSC
MEMBERSHIP FOR AFRICA

REF: (A) STATE 119812 (B) STATE 111637 (C) STATE 111657
(D) STATE 114051 (E) STATE 119897


1. (U) On the morning of June 29 at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Abuja, Acting DCM delivered
reftel demarches on UN reform to Ambassador Anigbo,
Director of the First United Nations Division of the
MFA. Poloff served as notetaker.


2. (U) A/DCM delivered talking points in Ref A,
encouraging Nigeria to keep an open mind on UN reform
negotiations and allow for thorough discussion of all
issues, then handed Anigbo a 15-page non-paper
comprised of the consolidated talking points in Refs B-

E. Anigbo responded that Nigeria is solidly for
freedom from want, freedom from fear, and freedom from
indignity, and that Nigeria both expects and
appreciates leadership from Washington on these issues.


3. (SBU) A/DCM then covered talking points in the 15-
page non-paper, highlighting the six priority areas
with special emphasis on the Secretary General's
proposals to reform the Human Rights Commission. When
A/DCM finished, Anigbo stated that Nigeria agreed "more
or less" with the USG's position, but the area of
Security Council restructuring was where Nigeria "has
problems." Many countries, he said, support "Option
B," but most of Africa supports "Option A," in which
both permanent and non-permanent seats on the Security
Council would be increased. He insisted, "Any change
that does not reform the permanent category is no
change at all." He stated that developing countries
share Africa's concern about reform and want
"democratization" of the permanent membership, where
"one vote can nullify the votes of 199 countries." He
complained that all five permanent members of the
Security Council are from "the North," while there are
no members from "the South."


4. (SBU) Anigbo asked rhetorically where all of the
security challenges facing the UN were--civil wars,
conflict, poverty, hunger, and AIDS--and answered, "All
in Africa, but Africa does not participate in policy
and decision making because it is not in the right
category on the Security Council." To buttress his
argument, he noted that peacekeeping is not just a
Third World concern but an African domain, yet Africans
have no say in peacekeeping decisions that affect them.
Finally, he stated, "Our clamor for reform is based on
our exclusion from decisions and the need for our
voices to be heard. The U.S. needs to be more
flexible, and not restrict Africa to non-permanent
seats" on the Security Council. He acknowledged that
change would have to be incremental, and he is in
agreement with the U.S. on humanitarian issues. He
also sees no major differences on non-proliferation and
disarmament issues.


5. (SBU) Shifting gears, Anigbo expressed
satisfaction with the fact that the U.S. had taken
positions in favor of UN reform. He said many
countries had wondered whether the U.S. really supports
UN reform at all, and now they can see that the U.S.
does.


5. (SBU) Biographical Note: Ambassador Anigbo was
recently promoted to Director of the First United
Nations Division, replacing Ambassador Abdul Rimdap,
who became Director of the International Organizations
Division. Anigbo served at the Nigerian embassy in
Washington for four years in the mid-1990s, then served
in Singapore, then was named Ambassador to Trinidad and
Tobago. He returned to Nigeria for extended training
before his current position at the MFA. He holds a
Ph.D. and has authored a book on brain drain and the
Nigerian diaspora. End Biographical Note.

CAMPBELL