Nigeria

Mend rebels extend ceasefire deadline

Article published on the 2009-09-16 Latest update 2009-09-16 08:37 TU

Armed members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) pictured in September 2008
( Photo: AFP )

Rebels in the Niger Delta have announced a 30-day extension to a ceasefire which was due to expire at midnight. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said, however, that it had not ended its struggle for a greater control of the oil reserves in the region.

"The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) is extending its unilateral ceasefire which expired midnight (2300 UT), September 15, 2009 by 30 days," the group said in a statement.

The ceasefire came shortly after the release of one of its leaders, Henry Okah, who had been jailed for close to two years on charges of treason and gun-running.

Okah had handed himself in to the authorities as a part of an amnesty offered by President Umaru Yar'Adua in June. That amnesty, inviting MEND rebels to hand in themselves and their weapons, expires on 4 October.

MEND added in its statement, however, that it "does not recognise" the amnesty offered by President Yar'Adua.

"[It] has not made any provision for meaningful dialogue on the root issues that gave birth to the Niger Delta unrest in the first place," said the statement.

"The government should use this extention of time to do the right thing instead of pretending to talk peace while arming the military for a war it can not win.

"The oil and gas industry who will bear the brunt of renewed hostilities should not be deceived by the amnesty charade or the recent military hardware purchases as this is only leading to another cycle of violence."

The violence in the Niger Delta has brought about a plunge in Nigeria's crude production to about 1.7 million barrels a day compared with 2.6 million in 2006.