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DE RUEHDS #0189/01 0341327
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FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7596
INFO RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 000189 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO AND AF/W 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
LONDON FOR PLORD 
PARIS FOR WBAIN 
SECDEF FOR DASD VICKI HUDDLESTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM SENV XA
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT: NIGERIA FM SAYS CONSTITUTION SACRED, WILL SIGN 
ONTO COPENHAGEN 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS FROM USAU AMBASSADOR MICHAEL A. BATTLE. 
 
¶1.  (U) January 31, 2010, 3:00 p.m.; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
 
¶2.  (U) Participants: 
 
United States 
Under Secretary Maria Otero 
Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson 
NSC Senior Director Michelle Gavin 
Ambassador Michael Battle 
AF Special Assistant Akunna Cook 
AU Desk Officer Ryan Bowles (notetaker) 
 
Nigeria 
Foreign Minister Chief Ojo Maduekwe 
Ambassador to the AU Nkoyo Toyi 
Samson Itefboje (notetaker) 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Summary:  Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe told the 
U.S. delegation that Nigeria would soon sign onto the Copenhagen 
climate change accord.  With regard to possible presidential 
succession, he said that Nigeria intended to follow its 
constitution, and thanked the U.S. for the "timely" joint statement 
issued with the UK, France, and the EU on January 28.  He said he 
looked forward to A/S Carson's imminent visit to Nigeria, and 
invited U/S Otero and NSC Michelle Gavin to visit soon.  End 
summary. 
 
¶4.  (U) The U.S. delegation met with Nigerian Foreign Minister Chief 
Ojo Maduekwe on January 31 on the margins of the AU Summit in Addis 
Ababa.  U/S Otero raised the Copenhagen climate change accord.  A/S 
Carson raised Haiti, upcoming elections, the January 28 joint 
U.S.-EU-UK-France statement, and his trip later this week to Lagos 
and Abuja. 
 
-------------------------- 
Joint Statement on Nigeria 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) FM Maduekwe told the delegation that the joint statement 
on President Yar'adua's health and the need to follow constitutional 
principles, which was issued by the U.S., UK, France, and the EU on 
January 28, was welcomed in Nigeria and issued at exactly the right 
time.  A/S Carson said he hoped Nigerians understood that we 
intended to communicate an expression of interest from the four 
parties, and an expression of Nigeria's importance both in West 
Africa and as a large, successful democracy.  He said that Secretary 
Clinton and her counterparts felt strongly that Nigeria must remain 
strong, democratic, and stable.  FM Maduekwe said that everyone he 
spoke with took the statement in exactly that spirit. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) FM Maduekwe said the statement was very helpful, and said 
that he was sure President Yar'adua was looking at all options.  He 
thought that Nigeria would be stronger and more resilient as a 
democracy after these events pass, and insisted that "everyone" was 
calling for the constitution to be followed.  He thought that news 
reports overly dramatized the situation in Nigeria, and said the 
country was stable. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Copenhagen Climate Change Accord 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) U/S Otero told FM Maduekwe that while the U.S. had hoped 
for a more robust agreement, we were pleased with the result and 
thought that it was good for Africa in particular.  She urged 
Nigeria to associate itself with the Copenhagen climate change 
accord as soon as possible.  FM Maduekwe said that Nigeria would 
soon sign onto the accord.  He praised President Obama's leadership 
in Copenhagen and said that his contributions were a "game changer." 
 He added that Nigeria is committed to ending natural gas flaring by 
an unspecified date, and was now working backwards to figure out how 
to accomplish this goal.  He said that the Government of Nigeria 
would contribute money to the gas flaring project, but also counted 
on international oil companies to do their share.  He asked for U.S. 
technology and infrastructure assistance in support of Nigeria's 
effort. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Support for Free and Fair Elections 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000189  002 OF 002 
 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) FM Maduekwe said he hoped A/S Carson would meet 
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Maurice 
Iwu when he visited Nigeria later this week.  He said Vice President 
Goodluck Jonathan was "passionate" about the elections, and that 
Jonathan was set against changing the date of elections when 
President Yar'adua left for Saudi Arabia.  FM Maduekwe said he was 
encouraging INEC to be more open to international partners, by 
telling them that if they are doing a great job, with nothing to 
hide, that they should work with the U.S. and others. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) A/S Carson responded by saying that the U.S. wanted to see 
a reformed INEC that had the technical skills to ensure a clean 
election with results in which Nigerians could have faith.  A/S 
Carson offered U.S. technical assistance toward this goal. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Haiti, Upcoming Visits, and Human Trafficking 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) A/S Carson praised Nigeria for its $5 million contribution 
for Haiti relief, and said Secretary Clinton appreciated the 
donation.  U/S Otero told FM Maduekwe that we appreciated this, and 
he should be proud of Nigeria's efforts to combat trafficking in 
persons. 
 
¶11.  (U) FM Maduekwe responded by saying that Nigeria hoped to be a 
long-term participant in Haiti's reconstruction, and wanted to send 
Nigerian teams to help as soon as Haiti was able to receive more 
international personnel.  He said that trafficking issues were 
difficult, but important, and that the AU was paying increasing 
attention to trafficking issues of all kinds in West Africa - not 
just human trafficking. 
 
¶12.  (U) In closing, FM Maduekwe said he looked forward to A/S 
Carson's upcoming visit to Lagos and Abuja.  He invited U/S Otero 
and NSC Senior Director Michelle Gavin to visit as soon as they 
could. 
 
¶13.  (U) U/S Otero, A/S Carson, and NSC Senior Director Gavin have 
cleared this message. 
 
YATES