NIGERIA NOT PREPARED TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO AT OIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000449

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL UNSC UNMIK KIRF EU KV YI NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA NOT PREPARED TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO AT OIC
SUMMIT

REF: A. SECSTATE 22377

B. ABUJA 344

C. ABUJA 436

D. 07 ABUJA 1327

Classified By: PolCouns Walter Pflaumer for Reasons 1.4 (b & d).


1. (U) PolOff delivered Ref A demarche to Bernard Shabu,
Assistant Director of Intra-Regional and Inter-Regional
Affairs and Desk Officer for Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March

7. Shabu informed PolOff that President Umaru Yar'Adua,
accompanied by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tijjani
Kaura and Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
would lead the Government of Nigeria (GON) delegation to the
March 13-14 OIC Islamic Summit in Senegal. Shabu said the
President is expected to leave for the Summit on March 12,
and that First Lady Hajiya Turai Yar'Adua may likely attend
as well.


2. (C) Shabu said the GON had not yet taken a position on
Kosovo's independence (Ref B),and was not yet in a position
to express support for Kosovo's independence at the OIC
Summit. Shabu said President Yar'Adua, in consultation with
the FornMin, was likely to discuss the issue ahead of the
Summit.


3. (C) Shabu told PolOff that the GON welcomed the
appointment of U.S. Special Envoy to the OIC, Sada Cumber
(Ref C),and looked forward to meeting with Cumber at the
margins of the Summit.


4. (C//NF) Since Nigeria joined the OIC in 1986, this will be
the first time a Nigerian Head of State will attend the OIC
Islamic Summit (Ref D). Shabu said, given the delicate
religious sensibilities and diverse makeup of Nigerian
society, the GON has had to maintain a low-key approach to
the OIC, and has tried to be seen as not "too active" on
Islamic issues. While Shabu acknowledged that Nigeria is
determined to pursue greater engagement with the OIC under
the Yar'Adua administration, particularly vis-a-vis
attracting investment and trade with OIC countries, he
discounted any link between this and Yar'Adua being a Muslim
president, claiming it was purely coincidental that the GON
is now interested in active engagement with the OIC. Shabu
told PolOff the GON may soon designate a Nigerian official to
serve as the GON's permanent representative to the OIC,
rather than a Desk Officer like himself who works broadly on
the GON's membership in international organizations.
(Comment: If the GON is, in fact, interested in raising its
profile within the OIC, designating a permanent
representative to work OIC issues would help appreciably.
The GON has not heretofore publicly pursued active engagement
in the OIC given Nigeria's delicate Christian-Muslim dynamic;
attempts to do so through official designation of a permanent
representative may draw criticism from Christian leaders in
Nigeria. End Comment.)
SANDERS