Cablegate: Nigerian Statement On Guinea-Bissau Coup

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ABUJA 001613

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL GZ NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN STATEMENT ON GUINEA-BISSAU COUP

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR PUBLICATION ON THE
INTRANET OR INTERNET.

1. (SBU) ECOWAS sent a fact-finding team to discuss the coup
with coup leaders, and the press reports the team returned
and sent a report to ECOWAS member states September 16 for
their action. The British High Commission tells us Nigerian
MFA MinState Samaila went, but they did not know whether he
was with the ECOWAS group or separate. Nigeria has already
commented publicly (text below), and at this point it is
unclear how the coup will affect ECOWAS and its Guinea-Bissau
contingent on the ground in Liberia.

NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT STATEMENT

2. (U) Begin Text:

The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has learnt,
with alarm, of the reported coup d'etat in the Republic of
Guinea-Bissau and the detention of the constitutionally
elected president. The Government of Nigeria strongly
condemns this unconstitutional act by the Guinea-Bissau
military. The Government of Nigeria wishes to remind the
perpetrators of this unconstitutional act that it was the
same circumstances in 1998, which led to very disastrous
circumstances for the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and from
which both the country and its citizens are yet to fully
recover.

The Government of Nigeria further regards this latest coup
d'etat as ill-timed and ill-advised, coming almost on the eve
of parliamentary and presidential elections, which would have
enabled the people of Guinea-Bissau to freely exercise their
inalienable right of choosing their leader.

Finally, the Government of Nigeria calls on the perpetrators
of this unconstitutional act to immediately reverse it,
release the constitutionally elected president and the other
detainees, so that preparations for a free and fair election
can resume.
End Text.
MEECE

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