Islamic Republic of Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his address to activists and journalists in the United States at the Warwick Hotel in New York on September 21, 2010. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe)
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
•Asian country recalls ambassador, claims ‘misunderstanding is over’
From Tokunbo Adedoja in New York, Paul Ohia in Lagos and Adebiyi Adedapo in Abuja with agency report, 11.15.2010
ThisDay Newspaper
In compliance with Security Council Resolution 1929, Nigeria has reported Iran to the United Nations Sanctions Committee over high calibre arms and ammunition intercepted by security agencies at Apapa Port last month.
The intercepted arms and ammunition, loaded in 13 containers labelled as "packages of glass wool and pallets of stone", were said to have originated from Iran, a country currently under UN sanctions, including arms embargo.
THISDAY confirmed the development from Nigerian Mission last night, while sources at the Japanese mission, which currently holds the chairmanship of the sanctions committee, said a letter had been sent in by the Nigerian Permanent Representative, Prof. Joy Ogwu.
Details of the letter were not known, but sources said it is just a notification that a shipment of arms originating from Iran was intercepted and inspection had been carried out.
At a latter day, a comprehensive report would be submitted on the findings, including other information not contained in the initial notification.
Security Council Resolu-tion 1747 (2007), adopted against Iran over its nuclear programme, mandates all states to prohibit the procurement of any arms from Iran by their nationals, just as its forbids Iran from supplying or selling any arms.
Paragraphs 14, 15, 16 and 17 of Resolution 1929, adopted this year, also mandate countries to inspect cargoes to and from Iran in their territory, and require any state that undertakes such inspection to submit an initial written report to the Sanctions Committee within five working days.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia, arrived New York yesterday and will be at the UN headquarters today for a ministerial meeting on Sudan.
Yesterday, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Manouchehr Mottaki, who visited Nigeria recently, said his country had resolved the "misunderstanding" over an arms shipment seized in Lagos.
Also, he said the country’s ambassador to Nigeria, Hussein Abdullahi, has been recalled, although he did not give further details.
He claimed that the arms were for legitimate sale to a West African country.
“The seized cargo belonged to a private company and it was for sale legitimately to a West African country,” Mottaki told Reuters in Tehran, without naming the country.
The State Security Service (SSS) said last week that the arms were "definitely" meant for Nigeria.
"I think the misunderstanding has been resolved,” Mottaki said.
But Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr. Ozo Nwobu, told THISDAY that the Ajumogobia, had not made any additional statement since he said during Mottaki’s visit that investigations were ongoing.
Reuters quoted diplomatic and security sources outside Iran as saying the intended destination of the weapons had not been clarified yet, but they added that investigations have focused on two Iranians believed to be senior members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.
"One of the Iranian citizens ... provided all the necessary explanations to Nigerian officials," said Mottaki, who was in Nigeria last week.
He also criticised suggestions which "are aimed at harming our relationship with Nigeria", but did not elaborate.
Ajumogobia said on Friday that Nigeria would report Iran to the Security Council if it found any evidence that the shipment broke UN sanctions imposed over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities.
The United States and its allies fear Iran's nuclear programme is a cover to build bombs.
Tehran denies this, saying its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity.
Ajumogobia added that he did not currently believe Iran had broken the sanctions. However, a Nigerian diplomat in New York had told Reuters that the Security Council's Iran sanctions committee would definitely be informed.
The Security Council resolution bans Iran from "supplying, selling or transferring directly or indirectly from its territory or by its nationals... any arms or related material”.
Nigerian security agents questioned one of the two Iranian men involved in the arms shipment but could not meet the second because he has diplomatic immunity.
Diplomatic sources outside Iran said the two are believed to be members of al-Quds, an elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards that specialises in foreign operations on behalf of Iran.
French-based shipping group CMA CGM said the containers carrying the arms shipment, which was labelled as building materials, had been loaded in Iran by a local trader.
Sequel to the ill-feeling that has ensued from the saga, the Iranian government has invited Ajumogobia to Tehran for bilateral talks.
This was contained in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday by the Iranian embassy.
According to the statement, “the two foreign ministers have agreed on the necessity of close cooperation for removing any possible misunderstanding emanating from the incident, as the Nigerian foreign minister warmly accepted the invitation”.
Mottaki, who led a high powered political and economic delegation to the country, had openly invited Ajumogobia for talks in Tehran in order to avert breakdown of diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
The foreign minister also expressed the intention of the Islamic Republic of Iran to partner Nigeria on the economic development process, noting that the developmental process taking place in the country is promising.
He however emphasised the importance of stability and security in the prosperity of Nigeria.
The Islamic republic has also mapped out strategies to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries, as issues including promotion of trade relations amounting to about $2 billion, expansion of mutual cooperation on areas of oil, gas and energy production, and promotion of cooperation at the international organisations were also agreed upon during the two days visit.
Active participation at the regional conferences which are being held in the two countries were also proposed as the Iranian side welcomed the attendance of Nigerian Minister of Tourism at the ministerial session of the Organisation for Islamic Conference which has being scheduled for between 28th and 29th November in Tehran.
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