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.('... I WAS CALLED IN TODAY TO SEE THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE MEA. SANUSI TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BEEN TELEPHONED FROM DODAN BARRACKS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE NTV NEWS LAST NIGHT AND ASKED TO SEEK CLARIFICATION FROM US OF WHAT THE PRIME HlNISTER SAID IN HIS LETTER TO PRESIDENT AMlN. 2 . SAKUSI SAID THAT THE FMS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT A REPORT THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD NOW TOLD AMlN THAT HE COULD NOT ATTEND THE CHGM. THE NIGERIANS TOOK THE V»EW THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD NOT EXCLUDE A HEAD OF STATE FROM THE MEETING. WHATEVER HIS FAULTS, THEY SAT WITH AMlN AT THE OAU AND WERE PREPARED TO SIT WITH HIM AT THE CH6M IF HE COSE TO COME, 3 . SANUSI TOLD ME THAT A DECISION HAp BEEN MADE THAT BRIG. YAR'ADUA WOULD LEAD THE NIGERIAN DELEGATION. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS TO HAVE BEEN MADE TODAY BUT WOULD BE HELD BACK. HE INDICATED THAT THIS WOULD NOW DEPEND ON NIGERIAN CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WERE EXCLUDING AMlN, 4 . I TOLD SANUSI THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT MESSAGE HAD BEEN SENT TO AMlN, BUT WE HOPED, IN THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH, THAT AMlN WOULD DECIDE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE CHGM, I UNDERTOOK TO REPORT THE NIGERIAN REQUEST. 5. DESPITE THE SYMPATHETIC REACTION WHICH LORD THOMPSON RECEIVED FROM GEN OBASANJO ON THE QUESTION OF AMIN'S ATTENDANCE AT THE CHGM, THE NIGERIANS APPEAR NOW TO BE PREpARTING TO TAKE ISSUE WITH US I F AMlN IS EXCLUDED. THE FMG HAVE CLEARLY HOPED LIKE US THAT AMlN WOULD STAY AWAY AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO MAKE ANY STATEMENT ABOUT HIS ATTENDANCE, BUT THERE IS A DANGER THAT THEY WILL MAKE THIS AN ISSUE OF AFRICAN SOLIDARITY. 6. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHAT I CAN TELL THE NIGERIANS ABOUT THE PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGE, I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SEE THE DIRECTOR OF THE EUROPEAN DEPT AT 0730Z TOMORROW, JOHNSON. NMNN