Commonwealth re: Nigeria Sanctions

[stephen.mills@sfsierra.sierraclub.org]

  Forwarded from news reports sent to me. Source unknown.
  
   
  BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY SAYS COMMONWEALTH WILL SANCTION NIGERIA
  British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said yesterday that the Commonwealth 
  would impose sanctions on Nigeria unless the military government implement
   long-promised democratic reforms. Cook, in comments prepared for delivery
  to the U.N. Security Council, made clear a summit of Commonwealth leaders 
  next month would continue Nigeria's suspension from the 53-nation body. 
  Reports said Cook deleted the comments about Nigeria from his speech. But a 
  British official said the minister had done so for reasons of length 
  because he wanted to focus on Libya instead. Asked whether Cook had changed 
  his mind about the printed comments on Nigeria -- which were distributed to 
  all Security Council members -- the official replied: ``No.'' The prepared 
  comments made clear that the Commonwealth had finally run out of patience 
  with what it sees as Nigeria's foot-dragging over the introduction of 
  democratic reforms. ``We have decided that Nigeria should not be expelled 
  but that we should roll over the suspension with the threat and promise of 
  further sanctions if Nigeria does not follow the reform program it has 
  set,'' Cook said, without giving details of what measures might be taken 
  against Abuja.
   
  The eight-nation Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) earlier this 
  month finalised its recommendations on Nigeria to the Edinburgh summit but 
  declined to say whether it had advised sanctions should be imposed on the 
  oil-rich state. CMAG last year also decided on a sanction package -- 
  including a ban on military training and issuing visas to senior Nigerians 
  -- but suspended it to give the military government more breathing space. 
  But the Commonwealth is still waiting for the government of Gen. Sani 
  Abacha -- widely accused of human rights abuses -- to embark upon the 
  promised reforms. ``In Nigeria, the basic human rights of the people are 
  still abused by a regime which puts its welfare before its people's,'' Cook 
  said. ``The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group has considered the case 
  of Nigeria in detail. It seems to us in Britain that membership of the 
  Commonwealth is the only lever which matters to Nigeria,'' he added. CMAG, 
  which like the rest of the Commonwealth works by consensus, has found it 
  hard to agree on a common line on Nigeria. Some states like Canada favour 
  tougher action, while others have advised moderation. The election of a new 
  British Labour government in May tilted the balance in favor of the 
  hardliners. Shortly after taking up his post Cook said the Nigerian 
  leadership was corrupt, sparking howls of protest from Abuja. Experts say 
  the only effective punishment for Nigeria would be an oil embargo, but this 
  seems highly unlikely.