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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| Rival Militants Pledge Peace in Nigeria |
| 2004-06-01 |
| Rival ethnic militants in Nigeria's troubled oil-rich southern delta pledged peace Tuesday after the killings of two American oil workers prompted a government crackdown on a yearlong spree of bloodletting. Dan Reyenieju, leader of an ethnic Itsekiri delegation, said he and leaders of the Ijaws had made a voluntary decision to end the violence, which has seen villages razed and hundreds killed. "The only solution to our problems is at a round table," Reyenieju said at a dingy social club in the Niger Delta oil city of Warri, flanked by archrival Ijaws. "Not behind the barrel of a gun." "This is a great day," agreed Ijaw leader Kingsley Otuaro. "This is definitely the solution to our problems." Dozens have been detained by police and military investigating the April shooting deaths of U.S. oil contractors Ryne Hathaway and Denny Fowler and five Nigerians. The escalating violence in the Niger Delta, where the bulk of Nigeria's oil is drilled, has forced multinational firms to shut some wells and pipeline facilities and turn their attention offshore in recent years. The crisis cut the country's production by nearly one-quarter last year, and production has yet to fully return to normal this year. Both ethnic groups also accused oil firms of fanning the violence with "divide-and-rule tactics," including payoffs to militants from one side to protect oil sites from the other. Oil company officials privately admit being forced to pay "security fees" to local thugs in order to prevent hostage-takings, sabotage and other attacks. Although the peace promise offered new hope, oil multinationals ChevronTexaco and Royal Dutch/Shell said it was too soon to return to swampland wells and pipeline facilities. "We do welcome any peace initiatives and we support any efforts made," said Don Boham, spokesman for Shell's Nigerian subsidiary. "Yet it is too early to see what the results are." ChevronTexaco also has no immediate plans to return to abandoned oil sites and was waiting for the firm's security advisers to determine "when it's safe to return," company spokesman Deji Haastrup said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 "The only solution to our problems is at a round table," Reyenieju said "No, a rectangular table...with nice legs" Ijaw leader Kingsley Otuaro said "Round!" "Rectangular!" and the strife renewed |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-01 9:00:38 PM |
| #1 Rival Militants Pledge Peace in Nigeria Yes, yes, of course they do. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-06-01 8:54:32 PM |