VZCZCXRO6837
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #2447 3311501
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271501Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1519
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0342
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0041
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 8328
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS ABUJA 002447 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IO/UNP ERIN MCLINN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNGA NI IS
SUBJECT: NIGERIA:  DEMARCHE ON UNGA RESOLUTIONQWITH 
ANTI-ISRAELI BIAS 
 
REF: STATE 159386 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED --  HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (U) Poloff met with Charles Ononye, Deputy Director of 
the Nigerian MFA's International Organizations Division, on 
November 27 to deliver reftel demarche.  Ononye promised to 
consider the U.S. reasons for opposing the three resolutions 
and confer with his colleagues in New York, but he was 
ultimately noncommittal on how Nigeria might vote.  He said 
Nigeria supports the two-state solution for Middle East peace 
and the GON will make a "balanced" statement on November 29 
to mark the UN's "International Day of Solidarity with the 
Palestinian People." 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Ononye also recommended that the Government of 
Israel approach both the Africa Group and the Non-Aligned 
Movement to seek support on these and other UN votes. 
According to Ononye, "Israel has friends in Nigeria and in 
Africa, but she needs to engage them both at the UN and in 
capitals."  He believes that Israel may be able to sway the 
votes of 2-3 African countries in the short term and work 
with them over time to build greater support within the 
Africa Group. 
PIASCIK