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
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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