Cablegate: Demarche Delivered: Draft Declaration On Rights Of

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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUJA #1598 1771550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261550Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6221
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0034
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 4455
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0321
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0119

UNCLAS ABUJA 001598

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR DRL/MLA AND L/HRR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL NI
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: DRAFT DECLARATION ON RIGHTS OF
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

REF: STATE 78740

1. Poloff and Mr. Richard Levy, Second Secretary of the
Australian High Commission, delivered reftel demarche on June
23 to Mr. Edward Ogbonna, Acting Director of Second United
Nations Division of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Ogbonna had little knowledge of the draft Declaration of
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP), but agreed to review
the materials provided and to pass the information to his
director (who was in Geneva attending the opening of the UN
Human Rights Council.) Mr. Ogbonna agreed with the
USG/Australian position that Chair's text could prove
problematic for an ethnically diverse polity such as Nigeria.
It was easy to think of Nigerian regions with restive ethnic
groups which could seek to break away if given an unqualified
right of self-determination by the DRIP (i.e. Biafra,
Bakassi, the Niger Delta). He indicated Nigeria would not
likely support any action on the DRIP in Geneva or at UNGA if
(upon further review) the Chair's text proved as problematic
as we claimed.

2. Action Request: Mr. Ogbonna implied that the Nigerian
missions in Geneva and New York would take the lead on the
DRIP, should it be raised at the HRC or UNGA. Therefore,
post recommends that U.S. missions in those locales raise the
DRIP with their Nigerian counterparts to ensure that the key
decision-makers are aware of the serious problems the DRIP
could pose for Nigeria.
FUREY

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