A/S FRAZER VISIT UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001020 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2017 TAGS: OTRA OVIP NI SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER VISIT UPDATE REF: STATE 70091 Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (U) U.S. Embassy Abuja warmly welcomes Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer and AF SIPDIS Special Assistant Fatuma Sanneh, who will visit Nigeria May 28-30 for the Presidential Inauguration. Country clearance information and a scenesetter will be transmitted septel. Though your visit will happen during the week of inaugural ceremonies and during a two-day strike called by the a consortium of labor unions and civil society organizations, we do not expect any logistical problems with your trip. The Ambassador wishes to invite A/S Frazer and Special Assistant Sanneh to stay at the Chief of Mission Residence. Hotel rooms at both the Sheraton or the Hilton are unavailable. The Embassy will reserve hotel rooms at the Protea hotel if hotel accomodation is preferred. ¶2. (U) The Embassy's Public Affairs Section is ready to assist with any requests by the A/S for press coverage of her visit. PAS would like to know whether the visit should be formally announced with a press release, whether the A/S would like to meet with any local press, and whether A/S Frazer plans to respond to press questions or have photo-ops at other meetings/events. SCHEDULE UPDATES -------------- ¶3. (C) The May 29 inauguration may attract a number of African Heads of State, although no confirmed attendance list is yet available. Our diplomatic colleagues in Abuja have told us that most European governments, India, Japan, and Canada will be represented at the inauguration by resident Ambassadors/High Commissioners, rather than by delegations from capitals. Formal invitations to the inauguration and the inaugural banquet have not yet been issued. We foresee no problem in securing invitations to the inauguration ceremony and are hopeful that an invitation to the banquet will also be issued soon. However, we note that in 1999, A/S Susan Rice attended the inauguration ceremony but she was not invited to the inaugural banquet at the Villa. ¶4. (C) Letters and diplomatic notes have been delivered to the transition committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) requesting a meeting for A/S Frazer with President-designate Yar'Adua. We have had no reply yet from either the committee or the Ministry regarding the meeting request. A diplomatic note has also been delivered to the MFA requesting a meeting with current Foreign Minister Joy Ogwu. She is retiring after the May 29 inauguration and her schedule remains unclear at this point. ¶5. (C) Vice President Atiku Abubakar remains out of the country and his aides have no expectation for his return or his attendance at the inauguration. We will confirm with them later in the week. ANPP Presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari has not been invited to the inauguration and does not plan to attend in any event. He has indicated a willingness to meet in Daura, Katsina (about seven hours from Abuja) on inauguration day. Logistics render this option impossible. ¶6. (U) We expect to identify some members of civil society for a meeting on the afternoon of May 29, but others will be honoring a two-day stay at home strike during your visit. We have been in touch with Chevron and have tentative plans for a meeting with MD Fred Nelson. We would be happy to include other oil company executives (who we expect will be in Abuja for the inauguration ceremony) if A/S Frazer is interested in expanding the meeting. ¶7. (U) Post will continue to provide schedule updates by email. CAMPBELL