Nigerian militants declare oil war
ISN SECURITY WATCH (Friday, 17 February: 16.27 CET) – Tensions in oil-rich Nigeria are on the rise, with Nigerian militants declaring “total war” on foreign oil interests, and reports of military helicopter attacks on ethnic communities in the Niger Delta.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, a militant group fighting for ethnic communities to have greater control over the region’s vast oil wealth, have given oil companies until midnight on Friday to leave the region, the BBC reported.
The group has recently blown up two oil pipelines, sabotaged two major oil fields, and abducted four foreign oil workers, though they were later released unharmed.
Reuters also cited militants as saying that government forces had launched a second helicopter attack on ethnic Ijaw communities on Friday in the Niger Delta. The militants said they had attempted to shoot the helicopter down, but were uncertain if they had been successful.
The group said the military had launched similar attacks on Wednesday.
Nearly all of Nigeria’s 2.5 million barrels of oil a day are produced in the 70,000 square kilometer Niger Delta. According to ISN Security Watch correspondent Dulue Mbachu, who recently visited the area, gas flares dot the landscape, denoting thousands of oil facilities in the midst of impoverished inhabitants who feel cheated out of the oil wealth produced in their land.
Militant attacks in the past month have cut Nigeria’s oil exports by about 10 per cent.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, a militant group fighting for ethnic communities to have greater control over the region’s vast oil wealth, have given oil companies until midnight on Friday to leave the region, the BBC reported.
The group has recently blown up two oil pipelines, sabotaged two major oil fields, and abducted four foreign oil workers, though they were later released unharmed.
Reuters also cited militants as saying that government forces had launched a second helicopter attack on ethnic Ijaw communities on Friday in the Niger Delta. The militants said they had attempted to shoot the helicopter down, but were uncertain if they had been successful.
The group said the military had launched similar attacks on Wednesday.
Nearly all of Nigeria’s 2.5 million barrels of oil a day are produced in the 70,000 square kilometer Niger Delta. According to ISN Security Watch correspondent Dulue Mbachu, who recently visited the area, gas flares dot the landscape, denoting thousands of oil facilities in the midst of impoverished inhabitants who feel cheated out of the oil wealth produced in their land.
Militant attacks in the past month have cut Nigeria’s oil exports by about 10 per cent.
posted by Marko at 2/17/2006 10:42:00 AM
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