DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GON POSITION ON COUNTRY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002913 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIA UNGA NI SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: GON POSITION ON COUNTRY SPECIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLUTIONS REF: STATE 182267 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Heather Merritt for Reasons 1 .4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel demarches to Ambassador Chike Anigbo at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 6, ¶2006. He was unwilling to commit the GON to a position on any of the resolutions, but agreed generally that the points made in all 5 cases are true and that the countries have violated the human rights of their citizens. He said that action stronger than annual resolutions is required in order to end human rights abuses, but he did not say whether this meant Nigeria would vote for or against the resolutions. ¶2. (C) Anigbo was willing to offer specific comments on only two of the resolutions. When discussing North Korea, he said that the GON was "hell-bent" on non-proliferation. He also said that the GON is currently in a diplomatic dispute with the DPRK because Kim Jong Il would not meet with President Obasanjo during Obasanjo's current trip to Asia, sending another official instead. In discussing the resolution on Burma, he deplored the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi before PolOff brought the matter up. He promised to pass reftel talking points on all 5 resolutions to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. ¶3. (C) Ambassador Anigbo was formerly director of the First U.N. Division at MFA. On September 7, he moved to the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He does not have a defined title or position, but appears to be in a senior gatekeeper role. He was cordial and happy to receive PolOff. While he seems unwilling to commit to positions on his own without consulting the Minister, he seems generally well disposed to the United States. He was previously Nigeria's Ambassador to Singapore and to Trinidad and Tobago. CAMPBELL