Nigerian Oilfield Militants Urge Unity

[December 17, 2007]  LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Nigeria's main militant group on Monday urged all armed factions in the restive southern oil heartland to join together and cripple Africa's biggest petroleum industry.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, which has spurned a government peace initiative and ended a cease-fire, praised moves by another militant faction to quit the talks and called for all groups to band together.

"We call on all genuine militant groups to unite and cripple the oil industry in Nigeria once and for all and stand strong to face a common enemy," the group said in a statement. "The time has come for all breakaway factions to come together and wage war of a different kind in 2008."

Bombings and attacks since early 2006 by MEND have already trimmed about one quarter of Nigeria's estimated daily crude production of 2.5 million barrels. Government officials weren't immediately available for comment.

The group announced a unilateral cease-fire shortly after the May 29 inauguration of President Umaru Yar'Adua, but later called it off. Yar'Adua's government has made some efforts to reach out to militants, but a wide-scale conference focused on peace and development for the Niger Delta has yet to materialize.

MEND said it wasn't part of the ongoing peace efforts, which took a hit over the weekend when representatives of ethnic Ijaw fighters said they were quitting the initiative after several military operation in the Niger Delta. Violence is rising again in the region after MEND ended its truce, although nowhere near the levels seen before April's elections, when gun battles or attacks on oil workers were nearly daily occurrences.

MEND, which claims to be represent all of the region's ethnic groups, lauded the weekend withdrawal of the ethnic Ijaw group. Militancy in the Niger Delta is characterized by shifting alliances and the nexus of political agitation and criminality. Much of the militants' activities is believed to be funded by the black-market sale of stolen crude oil, or gunrunning.

The militants are trying to force the federal government to send more of the oil funds it controls to the Niger Delta region, which is deeply impoverished despite the great petroleum riches. Large amounts of that money has been stolen by the region's leaders, many of whom are believed to have links to the militants. The militants are also suspected of helping politicians rig elections.

[Associated Press; By EDWARD HARRIS]

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.