NIGERIA/LIBERIA:GENERAL ABUBAKAR ON ECOWAS AND THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001873 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL LI NI ECOWAS SUBJECT: NIGERIA/LIBERIA:GENERAL ABUBAKAR ON ECOWAS AND THE LIBERIA ELECTION REF: A. STATE 180464 ¶B. ABUJA 1862 Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d). ¶1. (C) The Ambassador, with PolMilOff, met with CPA Mediator and former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar the evening of September 29 to deliver Ref A points, which were left as a nonpaper. Abubakar accepted the U.S. position and said that it is "in the line of our thinking." His response did not differ substantively from that of the Executive Secretary of ECOWAS reported in Ref B. Abubakar did, SIPDIS however, say that ECOWAS had decided to send a letter to the NTGL Chairman saying that the Supreme Court of Liberia derives its powers from the CPA and that the court should not do anything to hamper that peace agreement and that the Liberian elections should go forward on October 11. He said that these points would be included in the ECOWAS Heads of State communiqu that will be issued following the October 1 Summit. The communiqu appear to replace the public statement discussed by Chambas with the Ambassador earlier in the day. ¶2. (C) Abubakar said that he will meet with Chairman Bryant and with Dr. Chambas the evening of the 29th, in advance of the Summit. He will also be meeting with President Obasanjo and with President Tandja prior to Friday's meeting. CAMPBELL