NIGERIAN PERM REP OFFERS TO HELP ON SUDAN, IRAN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000072 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020 TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC KPKO XY XA NI IR SU PARM SUBJECT: NIGERIAN PERM REP OFFERS TO HELP ON SUDAN, IRAN, AND MIDDLE EAST REF: USUN 55 Classified By: Ambassador Susan Rice, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Ambassador Rice hosted a lunch for Nigerian PermRep Ogwu and the Nigerian Security Council team on February 1 to enlist support for U.S. priorities. PR Ogwu expressed reservations over a possible Council trip to Khartoum but committed to considering whether it could make the visit without seeing President Bashir. Ogwu also said she would lobby Abuja in support of U.S. positions on the Middle East, but acknowledged the challenges of domestic political pressures in that regard. Ogwu requested she be kept informed regarding any efforts to impose additional sanctions on Iran, so that she could try to help sway Nigeria's position to support the U.S. END SUMMARY. NIGERIA INTERESTED IN CONFLICT PREVENTION ¶2. (C) During a cordial and frank discussion on February 1, Ambassador Rice outlined U.S. priorities for Nigerian PermRep ¶U. Joy Ogwu and her Security Council team. Rice stressed the important regional role Nigeria plays in preventing and ending conflict, and highlighted the strong bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Nigeria. Ogwu stressed that conflict mediation and prevention were priorities on which Nigeria would focus during its Council presidency in July. SUDAN'S BASHIR: OGWU WARNS OF "TICKLING THE TIGER" ¶3. (C) Ogwu said the proposal for the Council to visit Khartoum could be "tickling the tiger," since President Bashir might force a meeting with the Council during the trip, but committed to considering whether the UNSC could avoid a meeting with Bashir if the Council does choose to go in 2010. Ogwu expressed concern that visiting only Juba could inadvertently indicate a Council preference for secession prior to the referendum. Ambassadors Rice and Wolff stressed that if the Council chose not to visit Sudan this year, it would miss an opportunity to contribute to a peaceful outcome and abdicate its preventative capacity. Ogwu agreed that most African states are preparing for the "obvious," that the south will choose to secede. OGWU INTERESTED IN HELPING ON THE MIDDLE EAST... ¶4. (C) Rice thanked Ogwu for her helpful, balanced remarks at the Middle East Council debate on January 27, (see ref.) and said the Human Rights Council was the appropriate venue for the Goldstone Report to be discussed. Ambassador Ogwu said her personal opinions sometimes differed from the directions she received from her capital on these issues, and acknowledged Nigeria's recent unhelpful votes in the General Assembly. She said she is willing to lobby Abuja in support of U.S. positions, but noted Nigeria's approach to Middle East issues is driven by its domestic politics. ...AND IRAN ¶5. (C) Turning to Iran, Rice emphasized the dual-track approach and said that the threat of additional sanctions could make a negotiated agreement more attractive for Tehran. Ogwu acknowledged that the Arabs were also feeling threatened by Iran's nuclear ambitions. Ogwu committed to working with the U.S. while noting again the domestic pressures Nigeria faced, and asked to be kept fully informed well in advance about any plans to impose sanctions on Iran so that she could try to build arguments to garner support within the Nigerian government. RICE