Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ABUJA1556
2005-08-23 16:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

NO SPILLOVER FROM NIGER IN NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA'S

Tags:  EAGR EAID SOCI SMIG XY NI 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ABUJA 001556 

SIPDIS

PASS AF/EPS:MNORMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID SOCI SMIG XY NI
SUBJECT: NO SPILLOVER FROM NIGER IN NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA'S
BORNO STATE

REF: STATE 151281
UNCLAS ABUJA 001556

SIPDIS

PASS AF/EPS:MNORMAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID SOCI SMIG XY NI
SUBJECT: NO SPILLOVER FROM NIGER IN NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA'S
BORNO STATE

REF: STATE 151281

1. Abuja economic officer and two U.S. Army Office of
Defense Cooperation humanitarian-assistance personnel
visited Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in far
northeastern Nigeria, on August 19 and 20, 2005. Officers
observed no evidence of Nigerien refugees in Maiduguri; in
Borno's Baga town, near Lake Chad; or as far west as Borno's
Kukawa town, where the road became impassable.


2. The Borno State deputy governor unexpectedly canceled his
August 19 meeting with embassy officers because of his
scheduling difficulties. However, at a meeting on August
19, news-department officials at the Borno Radio Television
(BRT) Corporation said they had no knowledge of Nigerien
refugees crossing into Borno State. BRT television news
that evening also made no mention of Nigerien refugees
crossing into Nigeria.


3. On August 20, embassy officers met with Alhaji Mustapha
Umar El-Kanemi, the shehu (roughly, "sultan") of Borno. The
shehu said grain prices in Maiduguri were continuing to
rise, but he attributed this increase to general inflation
and not to drought in Niger. He also said he had no
knowledge of Nigerien refugees in Borno State but cautioned
that the situation possibly was worse along northwestern
Nigeria's border with Niger.


4. Embassy officers found no local newspapers that might
have reported local leaders' reaction to the humanitarian
crisis in West Africa.


5. Embassy officers found that large portions of Borno
State were green and well watered, with heavy rain occurring
on August 19. Corn fields north and south of Maiduguri grew
up to six feet tall, although stalks and ears of corn were
thin.


6. Embassy Abuja remains alert to AF's interest in the
humanitarian crisis in West Africa.

CAMPBELL