NIGERIAN FM MAKES CASE TO REMOVE NIGERIA FROM SPECIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONROVIA 000093

SIPDIS
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/25
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC NI LI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN FM MAKES CASE TO REMOVE NIGERIA FROM SPECIAL
COUNTRIES LIST

REF: 10 ABUJA 20

CLASSIFIED BY: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),
(D)


1. (C) Summary: Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe visited
Liberia January 13-14, publicly to cement ties between the two
ECOWAS nations. But according to President Sirleaf, his mission
seemed twofold: to seek the president's support in removing
Nigeria from the TSA list of countries of interest and to assure
the Liberians that there was no vacuum of power in Nigeria. The
Foreign Minister used the occasion of both a speech to the Liberian
Foreign Service Institute and a toast at an official dinner, both
of which the Ambassador attended, to press the point that Nigeria
is a partner with the United States, and not a threat. It appears
that the Nigerians see President Sirleaf as a go-between in our
relations. End Summary.




2. (C) President Sirleaf told Ambassador January 18 that Foreign
Minister Maduekwe spent significant time during their bilateral
meeting January 13 in an effort to enlist the president to assist
in getting Nigeria removed from the TSA list of countries of
interest. His second point was to assure the Liberians that the
absence of President Yar'adua has not created a vacuum of power in
Abuja.




3. (SBU) Later in the visit, Maduekwe, speaking before the Liberian
Foreign Service Institute, took the opportunity of the Ambassador's
presence to explain that while Nigeria is a major player in the
region, there was an "800 pound elephant in the room" with whom
ECOWAS countries needed to maintain good relations.




4. (SBU) Later at an official dinner, the Ambassador was asked to
sit at the head table, and Maduekwe raised the importance of good
relations in his toast. During the dinner he asked the Ambassador
to relay to Washington to reconsider having Nigeria listed as a
country of concern. The Ambassador replied that as U.S. Ambassador
to Liberia, her greatest concern was to ensure that something of
this nature did not happen in Liberia. She encouraged him to raise
these concerns in Abuja. He said he was, but could not lose the
opportunity to convey his concerns to her.




5. (C) Comment: Although Maduekwe indicated to Sirleaf that he
would make the same demarche to other ECOWAS nations during his
visit, it was clear that he saw the president as a conduit to the
USG. However, the president shares our concern that in Monrovia we
need to focus on the security situation at Liberia's airport. A
TSA-ASSIST team was again in town recently assisting in making
Roberts International Airport ICAO compliant. End Comment.
THOMAS-GREENFIELD