Susan Rice's statements on Nigeria

[Mira Tanna <mvtanna@artsci.wustl.edu>]

  These questions and answers were sent to me by Senator Ashcroft's office.
  They are questions put to Susan Rice, nominee for Under Secretary of State
  for African Affairs.
  
  Question for the Record Submitted to Susan Rice, Senate Foreign Relations
  Committee, September 11, 1997
  
  Please elaborate on the reevaluation of U.S. policy toward Nigeria
  currently underway. What policy tools, including sanctions or positive
  incentives, do you think would be most effective in promoting genuine
  political reform in that country?
  
  Nigeria is among the most important and difficult policy challenges we
  face in Africa. There are no easy or obvious answers. We are in the
  process of reviewing our policy toward Nigeria to consider how better to
  employ the full range of diplomatic and other tools (e.g. sanctions) at
  our disposal to promote genuine political reform.
  	We see no practical alternative to maintaining existing sanctions
  against Nigeria until significant improvement in Nigeria justifies a
  change. Our commitment to promoting human rights and democracy in Nigeria
  is well known, and will not change. In the area of law enforcement
  cooperation, resumed extraditions would represent tangible progress, and
  could lead to graduated bilateral cooperation.
  	As a practical matter, we want to work with Nigeria on issues of
  mutual concern to advance both our short- and long-term objectives. We
  remain open to dialogue with Nigeria provided it is aimed at achieving
  tangible results.
  	We continue to believe that a combination of pressure and, when
  potentially useful, dialogue is required to spur progress in our many
  areas of concern. The current policy review has been undertaken to try to
  devise the optimal mix of pressure and incentives to achieve our policy
  goals in and with Nigeria.
  
  Is the political transition process laid out by Sani Abacha a credible
  one? What are Abacha's real intentions with proposed elections?
  
  Abacha's transition program lacks credibility due to the exclusionary way
  in which it has been conceived and implemented. In particular, the opaque
  registration process of political parties effectively bars most prominent
  Nigerian politicians from participation in the transition process. There
  have also been irregularities with voter registration. One of the most
  telling indications of the failure of the process has been the inability
  of the five registered parties to garner any genuine public support of the
  candidates or even the transition process itself.
  	Most Nigerians expect general Abacha to run for the Presidency as
  a newly-minted "civilian" and to win with credible opposition. There are
  frequent signals that Abacha intends to run, but he has made no definitive
  statement to that effect.