NIGERIA: SUCCESS OF NONVIOLENCE TRAINING DEPENDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000313 SIPDIS DOE FOR GPERSON,CHAYLOCK TREASURY FOR DFIELDS, AIERONIMO, RHALL DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS STATE PASS USTR FOR USTR AGAMA STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2018 TAGS: PGOV EPET PHUM NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: SUCCESS OF NONVIOLENCE TRAINING DEPENDENT ON AMNESTY, DEMILITARIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT REF: A. LAGOS 244 ¶B. SEPTEL Classified By: Consul General Donna Blair, Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary. Nonviolence training for Niger Delta militant youth conducted by a team from the University of Rhode Island, Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies under Dr.Bernard LaFayette, Jr., is becoming increasing popular with militants according to the National Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN),Allan Onyema. Onyema claims that the leaders of the militant groups including Tom Polo are now interested in attending the training and have invited the team to conduct nonviolence training in the camps if the government will not grant them amnesty to come for training in Lagos. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) supports the current training program but has not yet agreed to fund additional training. According to former militant leader and President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, the program will only be a success in the long run if the Nigerian government delivers on its promises to the people of the Niger Delta. End Summary. Youths Take Desperate Measures to Get Training -------------- - ¶2. (U) Allen Onyema of FEHN explained to Poloff in a meeting on July 24 that Dr. Bernard LaFayette from the Rhode Island Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies has been conducting nonviolence training for Niger Delta militants since 2006. Initially, the training was sponsored by Shell Oil Company Nigeria, which then lobbied hard with NDDC for funding to expand the program. To date roughly 2,000 militants have undergone the training directly, and many of these have returned to their own communities where they teach the values they have learned. The most recent training session which ended on July 25 trained 140 militants in nonviolence. ¶3. (C) According to Onyema, interest on the part of militant youth in the program has increased; roughly twice as many participants arrived for the most recent training session as had been scheduled. Onyema reported that when he visited Port Harcourt this month, he was "mobbed" by mothers of youths desperate to get their sons enrolled in the training. The interest in training has resulted in at least one imposter trying to take the place of one of the persons scheduled for training. In addition dozens of youths commandeered a bus and came to Lagos in the hope of getting into the training program, although they were not scheduled to participate. (Note: In a meeting with Poloffs in Lagos on July 23, former graduate and now trainer in nonviolence Sheriff Mulade claimed that many of those officially selected for the training are not "real" militants. Many candidates are instead selected by local government bodies on the basis of patronage. End Note.) Onyema insisted that the majority of the participants in the program are militants, but admitted that the current class contains only a few militant leaders. One exception was the older brother of Soboma George, who swore during the graduation ceremonies later in the day that he would return to his community and personally "send away" anyone who did not embrace nonviolence. Both Onyema and Dr. LaFayette stressed in separate conversations with Poloff on July 24 that the interest on the part of militant youths reflects the success graduates of the program have had in the past as well as a change in attitude among the militant leaders. ¶4. (C) Onyema and the President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, (another graduate of the course) told Poloff July 24 that there is now a very real opportunity to take the training "to the camps" to teach the militant leaders. Onyema claimed that Dr. LaFayette had been invited by Tom Polo to come and train directly in his camp. (Note: In his meeting with Poloffs on July 23, Mulade argued that it was more important to train second and third echelon leaders than the top commanders. Senior commanders, according to Mulade, have too strong an interest in a continuation of the violence. The second and third tier leaders have less vested interest in the status quo and, if converted to the ideology of nonviolence, will influence both the leadership and the youths. End Note.) Onyema argued that is important to carry on more training at the earliest opportunity before those with vested interests in continuing the violence talk the militant leaders out of participating in nonviolence training. (Note: Onyema's reference was to illegal bunkerers and politicians at the state and local levels. End Note.) FEHN Finds Jobs for Former Militants -------------- ¶5. (U) Onyema stated that the popularity of the program reflects the success it has had to date in integrating former militant youths back into peaceful society. As evidence he pointed to the presidents of the Gbaramatu and the Ijaw Youth Councils, both of whom are graduates of the training, and to another former militant with the alias "Death" (because of the 180 people he allegedly killed),who now works for the NDDC. According to Onyema, other graduates have found work with international oil companies and with domestic and foreign NGOs while still others have received micro-finance support to start their own businesses. Onyema is currently actively seeking new kinds of skills training in which to enroll graduates of the FEHN nonviolence training. He has heard of welder and plumber shortages in Europe and of the worldwide shortage of seafarers. He hopes to be able to organize skills training in these fields for recent graduates of the nonviolence training program. Continued NDDC Sponsorship Not Yet Assured -------------- ¶6. (U) The NDDC is financing the current series of training sessions. Training is divided into two levels. "Level One" training is currently conducted in Lagos, followed by "Level Two" training for successful graduates in South Africa. A selected number of Level Two graduates, who are deemed leadership material, are then sent for further training in the United States. Both Sheriff Mulade and Dr. Ekiyor have traveled to the United States as part of the program. (Note: Onyema was proud to report that to date not a single one of his trainees has overstayed a visa either in South Africa or the United States.) A total of 2000 youth are scheduled to be trained by the end of 2008. ¶7. (U) At the July 24 graduation ceremonies, Chief Timi Alaibe, Managing Director of NDDC, announced that "from now on anyone NDDC sponsors for skills training will first have to have completed nonviolence training." He stressed furthermore that jobs in the oil sector were not the only jobs of interest. He avoided, however, a firm commitment to providing more funding as Onyema had requested in his opening remarks. Support for Training Alaibe Campaign Ploy -------------- ¶8. (C) Speaking to Poloffs on July 23, Mulade indicated that he did not believe Alaibe's support for the nonviolence program was sincere. He believes that Alaibe is merely looking for a means to make himself look good so he can pursue his own personal agenda, which is being elected Chairman of the NDDC Board of Directors. However, on July 24 Dr. Lafayette said he believed that Alaibe has been convinced of the efficacy of the program as a result of its success with some notorious militants such as "Death." According to Dr. LaFayette, Alaibe knew "Death" from the time he was a small boy and told Dr. LaFayette outright: "You will never be able to get that boy to put down his gun." But "Death" now works for NDDC helping manage the nonviolence program. Dr. LaFayette says that Alaibe called the transformation of "Death" and other hard-core militants that he personally knew "a miracle." Both Ekiyor and Onyema are more skeptical about the degree of Alaibe's commitment to nonviolence, but they stress that at present he is supporting the program in a very energetic and open-handed way. Ekiyor said: "Replacing Alaibe now would create a vacuum at the wrong time." Government Needs to Deliver on Promises -------------- ¶9. (C) Dr. Ekiyor told Poloff prior to the graduation ceremonies that the success of the program in the long run depends on the government delivering on its promises to the Niger Delta. Most important here is amnesty for militant leaders that renounce violence and demilitarization of the Niger Delta, he said. Asked if he believed the government was sincere about finding a solution to crisis in the Delta, Ekiyor replied that "the problem is Akachukwu." (Note: Nze Akachukwu is a Senior Special Advisor to the Vice President Goodluck Jonathan. End Note.) He added that the State Governors are also all profiting from the violence and have no interest in ending it. 10 (C) Comment: Mulade's assessment of NDDC Managing Director Alaibe's insincerity appears plausible to Poloffs. More than one interlocutor has told us that Alaibe delayed "for years" this and other training programs. This cable was cleared by Embassy Abuja. BLAIR