§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What decisions have been made in consultation with the United Kingdom's international partners on the further steps to be taken to persuade General Abacha to hand over power rapidly to an accountable, democratic, civilian government in Nigeria.
§ Lord Mackay of ArdbrecknishWe have been consulting closely with our partners in the European Union, and in the wider international community. The European Union has decided to press the new regime to take urgent steps to restore democratic rule, unhindered by the military, and has reached agreement on measures to add to those imposed by the European Community last June.
We fully support the position of the European Union. The new measures will be implemented nationally as follows:
- the movement of Nigerian Defence Staff outside London will in future be restricted without prior permission;
- new export licence applications for, defence equipment to Nigeria will be reviewed, on a case by case basis, with the presumption of denial;
- those Nigerian military students still on courses in the UK will be asked to leave;
- the offer by ODA of a £23m grant for the power sector will be withdrawn.
- The measures imposed by the UK on 24 June will remain in place.
We will keep the situation in Nigeria under close review and will modify these measures, or add to them, in the light of progress towards the establishment of democratic civilian rule.