AMBASSADORIAL MEETING WITH NSA MUKHTAR ON HOSTAGES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001162 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, CA/OCS/ACS/AF, DS/IP/AF, DS/DSS/OSAC, DS/ICI/PII DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET PGOV PTER NI SUBJECT: AMBASSADORIAL MEETING WITH NSA MUKHTAR ON HOSTAGES REF: A. ABUJA 219 ¶B. LAGOS 434 AND PREVIOUS ABUJA 00001162 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Ambassador John Campbell for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In response to their request, Nigerian National Security Advisor General Abdullahi Mukhtar convened a meeting of Ambassadors from countries currently affected by hostage taking in the Niger Delta. He stressed that the GON knows the identities of the expatriates in captivity and in most cases knows approximately where they are being held and is in communication with their abductors. Mukhtar assured the diplomats that the Niger Delta is President Yar'Adua's "first" priority and he requested patience from the envoys as the GON attempts to secure the hostages' release without endangering their lives. Though he characterized the Nigerian military presence in the Delta as "sufficient," the NSA also admitted frankly that the GON needs help from the international community on intelligence sharing, fighting the movement of illegal arms, and combating oil bunkering. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassadors of the United States, Russia, Italy, France, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and China, along with the High Commissioners of the United Kingdom, India, South Africa, and Pakistan met June 6 with Nigerian National Security Advisor General Abdullahi Mukhtar at his office. The NSA was apologetic that the meeting, which had been requested in April by the British on behalf of the Ambassadorial group, could not be scheduled sooner. Mukhtar was accompanied by Major General A.M. Halidu-Giwa, the Chief of Defense Intelligence, and representatives of the State Security Service (SSS). The NSA convened a similar diplomatic meeting in February 2007 (ref A). Delta is Yar'Adua's Top Priority -------------- ¶3. (C) General Mukhtar said he was speaking to the Ambassadorial group on President Yar'Adua's behalf and that the Niger Delta was the new administration's top priority. He asked the envoys to understand how difficult it is for the GON to deal with the Delta, which Mukhtar characterized as "an entire population which has taken up arms against the government." He complained about the increasing criminality 
of the Delta crisis, noting that unrest which may have started as protests against neglect, pollution, and poverty has assumed a merely criminal, pecuniary character. Mukhtar said that there has been a total collapse of community life and traditional authority structures in the Delta; the elders have been compromised and the youth have lost faith. Therefore it is government's first task to reestablish authority and trust in the region. ¶4. (C) Both the U.S. Ambassador and the British High Commissioner agreed that establishing governance and public trust in the Delta was key and they looked forward to hearing the details of how this will be achieved by President Yar'Adua. General Mukhtar reported that President Yar'Adua held a meeting on June 5 with the new governors of Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa states and told them that the current situation in the Delta is unacceptable and that they have the primary responsibility to address security problems in their jurisdictions. Hostages, Captors are Known -------------- ¶5. (C) The NSA assured the envoys that the GON has a record of all the hostages and the probable locations where they are being held, but he cautioned that securing their release would require "patience, planning, and doing nothing rash that could create bad consequences." He said that in most cases, the GON and the relevant state governments were in touch with the hostage-takers and he was hopeful that some of the expatriates would be released within days. (NOTE: A SSS representative attempted to brief the group on the names and nationalities of the hostages seized in various incidents, but he embarrassingly omitted many individuals and confused ABUJA 00001162 002.2 OF 003 the incidents, doing more to worry than to reassure the diplomatic corps.) ¶6. (C) General Mukhtar complained that in some cases, expatriates are taken hostage because they behave unwisely. He counseled that GON warnings that foreigners should avoid local hotels and "fraternization with women of easy virtue" are ignored. The NSA said that the GON cannot restrict the free movement of individuals in the Delta, but advised that common sense and good security practices are essential for anyone living and working in such a dangerous environment. He also deplored the payment of ransoms, and said that payment to hostage-takers merely emboldens them and makes the situation worse. The U.S. Ambassador thanked General Mukhtar for his commitment to policies of restraint and non-payment of ransom. He urged the GON to do all possible to secure the release of the three Americans who remain in captivity (Ref B) and to provide any available intelligence on their health and well-being to the USG. Thoughts on Militants, Attacks -------------- ¶7. (C) The Indian High Commissioner asked the NSA whether attacks against foreigners have grown more brutal, given the June 1 attack on the Indorama compound in which women and children were also taken hostage. Mukhtar replied that he believe that the Indorama attack is the "first and last of its kind" rather than a new trend in militant attacks. He speculated that the abductors took women and children "to avoid separating family members" who happened to be present during the attack, rather than out of cruelty. The French Ambassador asked whether Nigerian military forces in the Delta were sufficient. General Mukhtar said yes, but pointed out that the real problem for the Nigerian troops was that "the most dangerous mission for any commander is an enemy undefined," and in the Delta it is at times difficult to distinguish militants from innocent citizens. ¶8. (C) The Italian Ambassador asked whether Dokubo Asari's rumored imminent release was true. The NSA replied that Asari's treason trial was ongoing and that the GON would allow due process of law to determine his fate. He noted that Dokubo Asari has already been pardoned and released once previously (to no avail) and if released now, he was likely to regroup and rearm another militia. A bail hearing is scheduled for June 16, according to Mukhtar. The NSA also pointed out that some other militants "wanted out" and the government is trying to negotiate with them. Most notably, Tom Polo is in serious discussions with the GON, according to Mukhtar. By contrast, the NSA said that Ateke Tom is a "mercenary" and cannot be reasoned with. Requests for Assistance -------------- ¶9. (C) The NSA requested assistance from the international community on intelligence sharing, stemming the flow of illegal arms, and combating oil bunkering. He complained that past commitments in these areas by foreign governments had not always been honored. He also complained that some Nigerian arms traffickers are being ignored or even sheltered abroad. For example, General Mukhtar said Henry Okah is known to travel around Europe and Africa, despite being a known supplier of arms to MEND. ¶10. (C) The U.S. Ambassador and the British High Commissioner reminded General Mukhtar that their governments have offered assistance on both combating the flow of illegal arms and illegal oil through the Gulf of Guinea Energy Security talks. The U.S. and U.K. Chiefs of Mission offered to meet again soon with General Mukhtar and perhaps the new Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Staff to discuss moving forward on the proposals and perhaps reinvigorate the Gulf of Guinea process. COMMENT -------------- ABUJA 00001162 003.2 OF 003 ¶11. (C) It is reassuring that the GON seems committed to restraining from any rash military action in the Delta and that they continue to oppose (at least publicly) any payment of ransom. The NSA was much franker during this briefing than he had been at the previous meeting in February 2007 and seemed more willing to admit that the GON needs help with illegal arms and oil bunkering. In February, the NSA chided foreign governments for increasing their warnings to expatriates to avoid the Delta. He made no such complaints during this meeting, and indeed seemed to stress the need for common sense and good security if traveling in what he now admits to be a dangerous region. End Comment. CAMPBELL