Ex-Nigerian leader Obasanjo writes US President Biden on behalf of Cuba

Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo has appealed to President Joe Biden of the United States of America to remove Cuba from the list of countries supporting terrorism.

Mr Obasanjo, in a letter made public on Thursday on a WhatsApp group platform moderated by the famed labour activist, Owei Lakemfa, former Secretary General of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), said his knowledge of Cuba recalls the tiny island’s “contributions to [the] final liquidation of colonialism and apartheid in Africa” rather than a base for exporting global terrorism.

The former Nigerian president said his solidarity and sentiments for the Cuban people stemming from his interaction and relationship with the country dates back to the era of its legendary leader, Fidel Castro, who captured global imagination in December 1958 by leading a group of young people to overthrow a brutal dictatorship and installing a socialist state that never enjoyed warm relationship with the United States.

Mr Lakemfa said that Mr Obasanjo’s letter contributes to growing international pressure on the US to adopt fairer policies. He emphasised the need for the US to prioritise global peace and urged it to stop what he called “incomprehensible bullying” of smaller nations. He also encourages a multilateral world where small and big countries can co-exist without interference in their sovereignty.

Backstory

The US and Cuba have had a long fraught history from economic stresses to diplomatic tensions.

On 12 January 2021, the Department of State designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. The Secretary cited that the Cuban government repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism by granting safe harbour to terrorists. Cuba was initially designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) on 1 March 1982 by the President Ronald Reagan Administration due to its long history of offering guidance, refuge, communications, training, and financial assistance to individual and terrorist groups. In 2015, the designation was lifted following a review that found Cuba no longer met the criteria for rescission.

However, it was reimposed in 2021 when the US Secretary of State claimed that Cuba had consistently given support and aided acts of international terrorism in the six years since its designation had been annulled. In addition, Cuba allegedly has and still harbours several American fugitives who are wanted for political violence-related offences.
According to the US Department of State, currently, there are four countries designated under these authorities: Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, and Syria. The four main categories of sanctions triggered from designation under these authorities include restrictions on foreign aid restrictions, defence export bans, dual-use item controls, and financial restrictions.

Despite ongoing US-Cuba economic sanctions, the United States remains Cuba’s primary supplier of food and agricultural products, with 2018 exports totalling $220.5 million. Additionally, the US provides significant humanitarian aid to Cuba, including medicines and medical products, with total US exports reaching $275.9 million in 2018. Furthermore, remittances from the US, estimated at $3.5 billion in 2017, play an essential role in supporting Cuba’s state-controlled economy.

But its economy is worsening under the combined weight of U.S. sanctions, misguided government policies, and the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Cubans are suffering critical shortages of necessities—food, fuel, and medicine.
Consequently, Cuba’s plight has garnered more attention in recent years, leading to growing advocacy for legislative efforts to modify and neutralise some U.S. sanctions under the current economic embargo.

The Cuba Solidarity Campaign’s #OFFTHELIST movement advocates for Cuba’s removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, amplifying global advocacy initiatives to end the inhumane blockade.
In May 2024, Cuba was removed from the U.S. list of countries “not fully cooperating” with counterterrorism efforts. This change came after the resumption of law enforcement cooperation between the U.S. and Cuba, especially on counterterrorism issues. The Cooperation against Terrorism list, which the State Department is required by law to provide the U.S. Congress, is not the same as the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) list, which Cuba is still on and is at risk of facing more restrictions and economic penalties.

Former president Obasanjo joins his voice together with other kindred spirits to urge the US government to remove Cuba from the Terrorism List. His letter reads:
“I have great pleasure in addressing this letter to you, Mr. President, in my capacity as former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has always advocated for peace, justice and the well-being of all nations.

It has been brought to my attention that Cuba is currently listed by the United States as one of the countries supporting or sponsoring terrorism globally.

As my interaction and relationship with the government and people of Cuba is concerned, especially during and after the time of Fidel Castrol, I want to appeal to you, President Biden, to reconsider Cuba’s inclusion on the list of countries supporting terrorism globally. I know and appreciate what contributions Cuba made to final liquidation of colonialism and apartheid in Africa.

I plead with you to act on the matter with compassion and empathy for the millions of Cuban citizens who are bearing the brunt of this inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries supporting terrorism globally.

I thank you for your attention to this matter and trust that you will kindly give it due consideration.”