Nigeria - interview with Mend spokesperson

Mend declares indefinite ceasefire but won't disarm

Article published on the 2009-10-25 Latest update 2009-10-26 10:16 TU

Mend members hand in their arms in Port Harcourt this month
(Photo: AFP)

The main armed group in the Niger Delta, Mend, has declared an indefinite ceasefire in its conflict with the Nigerian government. But, a spokesperson tells RFI, they will keep their weapons in case the government does not make the concessions they want.

The group says it wants to encourage dialogue with the government and has asked a group, including Nigerian Nobel literature laureate Wole Soyinka, to discuss its demands with the government.

Its main demand is that the people of the Niger delta should benefit more from its oil wealth.

A Mend statement  said that the decision comes after the government "expressed its readiness to engage in serious and meaningful dialogue with every group or individual towards achieving a lasting peace in the Niger Delta."

But a Mend spokesperson known as Tom told RFI that the group has not renounced armed action for good.

"We are not going to disarm," he says. "In fact we will continue to reinforce and we hope that we will either disarm when things are done properly or we will continue to fight."

And he warns that it could go back to sabotaging the oil industry if talks fail.

"We do not care if the oil companies rebuild their damaged platforms or repair their pipes. We don't care about all that because we know it will just take an explosion to get everything to get things back to square one."

The announcement comes just a few days after Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua for the first time met Mend's presumed leader Henry Okah.

"The fact that the government made contact with Henry Okah, the leader we respect and trust - he was flown in all the way from his base in South Africa to Abuja - that was an indication of seriousness," says Tom. "And Henry conveyed to us the meeting he had with the President and ... he made it very clear to the President that Mend would want discussion dealing with the whole issues we are talking about. The injustice of over 50 years has to be dealt with."

But Mend is not setting preconditions for the talks.

"We want to be as flexible as possible," says Tom.

It is not clear that all Mend factions will observe the ceasefire.