It appears some damage control has stated following the statement credited to Alhaji YarA’dua on AFRICOM. The stance of the Nigerian government prior to the last week trip of the president was a clear and unambiguous “NO” to the establishment of AFRICOM - the proposed United States’ military command for Africa, on African soil:
Nigeria formally announced Monday that it won’t host the U.S. military’s new Africa-wide military command, taking Africa’s most-populous nation and a top source of American oil imports out of contention. - Associated Press, via IHT (November 19, 2007).
Then last week, YarA’dua was reported saying:
“We have discussed on security issues, security within Nigeria, the Niger Delta, the Gulf of Guinea and peace and security on the African continent. We shall partner AFRICOM to assist not only Nigeria but also the African continent to actualise its peace and security initiatives. It is an initiative to have standby forces in each of the regional economic groupings in Africa.†- Via VOA, December 13, 2007..
The manner and shape of this “partnership” remains unclear.
Days later, the foreign affairs department (and the president on VOA) swung - issuing a rebuttal and some clarification:
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ojo Maduekwe, on Sunday in Washington DC, said that Nigeria did not endorse the presence of the U.S. Africa Military Command (AFRICOM) on the continent.
“Nigeria’s position on AFRICOM remains that African governments have the sovereign responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security on the continent,†Maduekwe said.
In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the minister said that the decision was “in the context of the proposed African Union (AU) Stand-by Force.â€
“In this regard, the need for support and assistance by Africa’s development partners, such as the U.S. in the provision of training, funding and logistics for African militaries was duly acknowledged,†he said. Daily Independent (December 17, 2007)
In what can be considered the first major international media event for YarA’dua, not only did he present himself as a green-eared president going by his “I will never forget this moment….” ’star-struck statement’ - not sure if YarA’dua was simply at awe of the magnificence of the White House or swept off his feet at meeting the ‘notorious’ George Bush - whatever the reasons may be, YarA’dua came across, embarrassingly, as a media relations mediocre. His statement on AFRICOM - which now deserves some white-washing - is an indication of how lax our foreign affairs department is. Shouldn’t the department have assessed the likely post-meeting scenarios and prepared accordingly - prepping the poor YarA’dua on what and what not to say, and how to say what he ought to say, even before he left Abuja for Washington?
Related articles:
AfricanLoft: What Does Partnering with AFRICOM Mean?
Crossed Crocodiles: Has Yar’Adua been bought out by Bush and AFRICOM?
Bush I believe was “greener” than Yaradua when he started out as president of America but one thing I give to the man is that he was always groomed and tutored before making issuing any statement, and even his poetical sounding speeches were all well written for him to recite. Maybe this is an area that Yaradua will now need pay attention to. As much as some believe that Yaradua played a “smart alec” by not rubbishing a host on their home ground, we need to also consider the issue of integrity and people holding one accountable for ideas, insinuations, agreements and what have you. I remember Idi Amin rubbished his English hosts decades ago and it was a well talked about topic, but no one called him a liar amongst the many names he got for apparently playing an “educated fool”. Maybe standing up to people is not a bad idea after all, instead of trying to outsmart them with lies, hypocrisy and cunning. I am not suggesting that this is what Yaradua did in this case, I am only responding to a comment on AFrican Loft ( see forevah’s comment of Dec 15 on http://www.africanloft.com/on-africom-nigeria-will-partner-with-us-military-command-for-africa/#comment-7325) that said Yaradua although he said “Yes”, actually meant “No” to AFRICOM.
December 17, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Please read this post curtesy of Nigerian Punch today:
“AFRICOM: Nigeria will not allow US troops in Africa –Yar’Adua
By Ihuoma Chiedozie, Abuja
Published: Tuesday, 18 Dec 2007
President Umaru Yar’Adua on Monday said that Nigeria had not approved the presence of American troops in Africa under the platform of the United States African Command.
The President, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, said that Nigeria maintained its earlier opposition to the establishment of a US military base in Nigeria or any other part of the continent.
Adeniyi, who addressed newsmen at the State House in Abuja, made the clarification against a backdrop of public outcry over reports that Yar’Adua approved the controversial project during talks with US President, George W. Bush, in Washington last week.
It was gathered that Yar’Adua had expressed outrage at the reactions to his comments on AFRICOM during the meeting with Bush.
Adeniyi explained that at the meeting with Bush, Yar’Adua only restated the position of the African Union, which was that the US should assist by providing funding, logistics and training support for an African Stand-By Force, which should be made up of troops contributed by African countries.
December 17, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Each African nation can have a “Stand By Force” without involving the Crusading NeoCons.
You have to ask yourself what is the need for ANY African country to involve foreign War-Mongers for peace and stability in Africa?
Two questions I have about this “I will never forget this moment” guy.
1. Is he representing you?
2. Is he working for you?
Dear Nigeria, I think that some of YOUR “representatives” are working for the State Department at Washington.
December 17, 2007 at 8:16 pm
@ Hafiz: Your last sentence is hilarious. You are probably right and that spells danger for Nigerians because it could mean that not only will the government not ensure that its relationship with the US be mutually beneficial, but, poor people (as always) will pay the ultimate price.
Oh, Nigeria…
December 20, 2007 at 12:26 am
This report on today’s Nigerian Punch curtesy of http://www.gamji.com does explain things well. Yaradua seemed only too pleased to please Bush and got carried away and was beeming AFRICOM until later when with Public outcry/outlash, damage control. Read further and you will agree with my very first comment above that Yaradua was not “propped up”, “groomed” nor “tutored” before he let loose on AFRICOM. Well lets see how this will be patched up. Interesting, please read on:
Presidency, ministry bicker over Yar’Adua’s comment on AFRICOM
From Laolu Akande, New York
PRESIDENT Umaru Yar’Adua’s statement at the White House on Thursday last week that Nigeria will partner with the United States on the Africa Command (AFRICOM) may have sparked a misunderstanding between officials of the Presidency and those of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
But Yar’Adua has since explained that his support for AFRICOM was hinged on its control by Africans with American training and logistics aid.
The blame game which started in Washington, DC before the Nigerian delegation left on Saturday morning is mainly centred on how that statement could cause Nigeria and Yar’Adua credibility problems with other African leaders who had all agreed under Africa Union (AU) banner not to support AFRICOM.
Sources at the Nigerian embassy in the U.S said top Presidency officials were shocked that Yar’Adua went into the White House meeting with President George W. Bush without clearly defined Talking Points, occasioned by the refusal of the Ministry to okay the participation of key officials at the bilateral talks.
Since the ministry was in charge of accrediting Nigerian officials going into the White House, the list was reportedly secret until the last meeting, The Guardian was authoritatively informed.
Presidency sources also said this loophole partly explained the format of Yar’Adua’s presentation when he and Bush briefly spoke to the press at the White House after the meeting.
Bush did not say a word about AFRICOM, and diplomatic sources said even at the closed door meetings it was the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and her Assistant, in charge of Africa, Jendayi Frazer, who discussed the issue with Yar’Adua in greater detail.
Yar’Adua on the other hand did not get the benefit of a variety of technocrats.
Although the Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, a non-career diplomat and the Charge D’Affaires at the Nigerian Embassy Usman Baraya, who is acting as Ambassador attended the bilateral talks along with the President, other key technocrats like the Special Advisers on International Relations and on Communication were not on the team.
It was learnt that there was a tussle between Presidency officials and the minister on who ought to sit in with Yar’Adua at the White House bilateral meetings.
A presidency source said if Yar’Adua had been prepared with appropriate Talking Points he would not have had to talk about AFRICOM at all since Bush was silent on it and if he had to, his statement would have avoided the confusion of Nigeria’s real posture on AFRICOM. Yar’Adua had said Nigeria will now partner with AFRICOM, which was seen as a sudden change in policy since the AU had expressed clear opposition to the project.
After the Yar’Adua statement at the White House, Ministry officials hurriedly called a press briefing the following day at the Minister’s hotel to “clarify” Nigeria’s stance. At the briefing the officials expressed worry that Yar’Adua’s statement saying Nigeria will partner with AFRICOM place him in conflict with other African leaders since the AU had decided not to support the idea.
Some officials expressed dismay that the Nigerian journalists who were in White House did not check with them before filing their reports. But even at that press briefing at least two of the about no fewer than eight Foreign Affairs officials stated clearly that the blame belonged to the Ministry for failing to properly brief the Nigerian president.
A Voice of America interview was thereafter hurriedly organised to mitigate the communication damage “to which the President had been exposed to.”
The absence of a substantive Ambassador of Nigeria in the US meant that Maduekwe became the defacto one since the highest ranking Nigerian diplomat at the embassy was the Charge’D'Affairs.
The Charge’D’ Affaires, who is now addressed as Acting Ambassador is Usman Baraya. Sources said Yar’Adua only had 10 days notice after the minister informed him that the White House had said yes to inviting him and a date has been proposed.
December 20, 2007 at 3:25 pm