Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ABUJA967
2009-06-04 09:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:
ECOWAS: COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING IN ABUJA, AND
how-toVZCZCXRO0874 PP RUEHPA DE RUEHUJA #0967 1550910 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 040910Z JUN 09 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6184 INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS PRIORITY 1435 RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0349 RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 0206 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1936 RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0893 RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000967
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA
BAGHDAD FOR DMCCULLOUGH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECOWAS NG NI
SUBJECT: ECOWAS: COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING IN ABUJA, AND
NEXT STEPS REGARDING NIGER
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Geoffrey J. Martineau for rea
sons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000967
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA
BAGHDAD FOR DMCCULLOUGH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECOWAS NG NI
SUBJECT: ECOWAS: COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING IN ABUJA, AND
NEXT STEPS REGARDING NIGER
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Geoffrey J. Martineau for rea
sons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (SBU) On May 26, the 62nd ordinary session of the ECOWAS
Council of Ministers opened in Abuja, chaired by Nigeria's
Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe. Maduekwe welcomed visiting
ministers by challenging them to work together to increase
regional efficiency and improve West African infrastructure,
rather than simply increasing institutional bureaucracy. He
warned them that "increased hugging of (i.e. insistence on)
sovereignty could lead to the hugging of sustained poverty"
if progress were not made toward these goals. The Council of
Ministers dealt primarily with economic issues, deciding to
allow member states to create a fifth band of the Common
Economic Tariff (CET),augmenting the peak tariff on imported
goods from 30% to 35%, up from the previous four-band CET of
between 0 to 20%. The Joint Committee on Trade, Customs, and
Free Movement will meet at a later date to determine which
goods will be reclassified to qualify for the new tariff.
The Ministers also considered the ECOWAS Labor Policy and
Plan of Action, which proposes to assist the victims of human
trafficking, and the implementation of the regional action
plan against drug trafficking.
2. (C) On May 31, Ambassador spoke with ECOWAS President
Mohamed Ibn Chambas to discuss the results of the recent
Council of Ministers meeting. Chambas noted his concern
about the rollback of democracy in the West African region,
and that more needed to be done and said by the international
community to help stem this tide. Chambas was particularly
focused on ECOWAS' next steps in dealing with the
constitutional crisis in Niger, caused May 26 when Nigerien
President Mamadou Tandja dissolved his country's National
Assembly, apparently in a move toward abrogating Niger's
Constitution and seeking a third term in office. Chambas
told the Ambassador that ECOWAS was dispatching former
Nigerian President Abdulsalami Abubakar to visit Tandja, in
order to persuade him to step down in December, 2009, as the
law requires. At the end of the discussion, Chambas
officially asked for a meeting with POTUS since he will be in
Ghana at the same time. A formal written request is to
follow.
3. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos.
SANDERS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA
BAGHDAD FOR DMCCULLOUGH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECOWAS NG NI
SUBJECT: ECOWAS: COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING IN ABUJA, AND
NEXT STEPS REGARDING NIGER
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Geoffrey J. Martineau for rea
sons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (SBU) On May 26, the 62nd ordinary session of the ECOWAS
Council of Ministers opened in Abuja, chaired by Nigeria's
Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe. Maduekwe welcomed visiting
ministers by challenging them to work together to increase
regional efficiency and improve West African infrastructure,
rather than simply increasing institutional bureaucracy. He
warned them that "increased hugging of (i.e. insistence on)
sovereignty could lead to the hugging of sustained poverty"
if progress were not made toward these goals. The Council of
Ministers dealt primarily with economic issues, deciding to
allow member states to create a fifth band of the Common
Economic Tariff (CET),augmenting the peak tariff on imported
goods from 30% to 35%, up from the previous four-band CET of
between 0 to 20%. The Joint Committee on Trade, Customs, and
Free Movement will meet at a later date to determine which
goods will be reclassified to qualify for the new tariff.
The Ministers also considered the ECOWAS Labor Policy and
Plan of Action, which proposes to assist the victims of human
trafficking, and the implementation of the regional action
plan against drug trafficking.
2. (C) On May 31, Ambassador spoke with ECOWAS President
Mohamed Ibn Chambas to discuss the results of the recent
Council of Ministers meeting. Chambas noted his concern
about the rollback of democracy in the West African region,
and that more needed to be done and said by the international
community to help stem this tide. Chambas was particularly
focused on ECOWAS' next steps in dealing with the
constitutional crisis in Niger, caused May 26 when Nigerien
President Mamadou Tandja dissolved his country's National
Assembly, apparently in a move toward abrogating Niger's
Constitution and seeking a third term in office. Chambas
told the Ambassador that ECOWAS was dispatching former
Nigerian President Abdulsalami Abubakar to visit Tandja, in
order to persuade him to step down in December, 2009, as the
law requires. At the end of the discussion, Chambas
officially asked for a meeting with POTUS since he will be in
Ghana at the same time. A formal written request is to
follow.
3. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos.
SANDERS