By Meryl A. White
Impunity Watch Reporter, Western and Central Africa
NIGER DELTA, Nigeria – During a clash between the Nigerian navy and suspected militants in the Niger Delta, two people were killed. The attack occurred near a Shell oilfield.
This attack follows the five-month ceasefire against workers of the oil industry. The ceasefire was an attempt for armed groups in the area to abandon their weapons and seek discussion with the Nigerian government.
The militant group called the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has refused the option of ceasefire.
In a MEND email, the militant group stated “The attack was to again prove to the oil majors and the Nigerian government that the presence of the Nigerian military in the Niger Delta cannot deter an attack nor provide protection to oil facilities when we decide to attack them.”
Since January 2006, more than 200 oil workers have been kidnapped by armed militants and criminal gangs in the oil rich region. These militants want more of the oil revenues to be spent on developing infrastructure in local poverty stricken communities.
Currently, criminal gangs take advantage of Nigeria’s oil state, as it allows for targeted kidnapping of wealthy and political individuals. According to journalist, Tony Tamuno, “It is all about cash; criminals have taken over,” he said. Conversely, other militants take hostages in an attempt to gain more political rights.
The “commercialization” of kidnappings has lead to much instability in the region. The abductions as a whole have been a major detriment to Nigeria’s oil export industry, as it has cut oil production by one quarter. More than 150 foreigners have been seized in 2007 alone.
For more information, please see:
BBC – Nigerian Navy in Deadly Oil Clash – 31 October 2007
Reuters Africa – Nigeria says stability in Niger Delta improving – 1 November 2007
Reuters Africa – Nigerian Militants Attack Navy Vessel, Kill One – 1 November 2007
Impunity Watch – Gunmen in Nigeria Seize Chief’s Son – 13 July 2007
Impunity Watch – Twelve Hostages Released in Nigeria – 12 June 2007
