Bad couple of weeks for Chevron

These last couple months have been quite problematic for Chevron. This week the company declared force majeure on 90,000 barrels per day of Nigerian oil exports following the sabotage of a main supply pipeline to its Escravos export terminal. In addition to its economic woes, the company's public image is in jeopardy due to the opening of the damages trial in U.S. District court in the "Bowoto v. Chevron" case. The case is a reaction to events during May 1998, when unarmed residents of the Niger Delta protested at the company's offshore Parabe platform, demanding that the corporation contribute more resources to the development of the area, and were met with violent opposition from the Nigerian military and Chevron security, resulting in the maiming and death of protesters. The suit further attempts to implicate Chevron in gross violation of environmental standards leading to the destruction of ecosystems, and land erosion.

Clearly, Chevron is beginning to lose credibility with respect to its dealings in Nigeria. At what point do the international community and Delta communities begin to lump Chevron with other nefarious companies like Shell and demand openly or through continued sabotage, that they quit the region?

MEND denies plans to meet with Technical Committee

There seems to be a breakdown, once again, of communication between government envoys and Delta militants. In an article published today in The Punch newspaper, a source close to the coordinator of the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta said the sub-committee for Conflict, Militancy and Demobilisation of said body will be engaging militant groups such as the MEND and NDPVF at a meeting in Oporoza, Delta State.

Hours later, Spokesperson Jomo Gbomo of the Movement for the Emancipation a statement via email distancing the group from the proposed meeting.

"MEND can confirm that non of its bona fide members or leaders will be participating in that meeting. Any person or group that purports to represent MEND in that gathering should be regarded as imposters and fraudsters. Instead, we advice the technical committee to meet with Henry Okah who they can access for discussions on the way towards genuine peace and reconciliations. Henry Okah's position after such a meeting will be binding on us."

Although the hope was that MOSOP member Ledum Mitee would have some weight with Delta militants, it seems like no matter what the government throws at the militants, they are unwilling to sit down and talk. It is hard to blame them. For meaningful talks to happen, preconditions are generally necessary and those have certainly not been met. There continues to exist a state of heavy military repression in the Niger Delta and one of the MEND's key demands: fair treatment for Henry Okah, has been ignored for months.

Terrible coverage

Recent coverage of the situation in the Niger Delta has been particularly lacking.

On September 25th, the BBC published an article on its website claiming a mass arrest of over 200 militants. The article has no author and the only source is the "military commander in Rivers state." There are no photos, no request for a response from militant spokespeople, nothing.

In response to this rumor, nigerdeltaunrest asked MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo to verify or deny the BBC's claims. He responded by saying, "it is one big lie!" He went on to say, "MEND is disappointed that the BBC would report a one sided story of an event that has two sides in the conflict. They [the BBC] have access to us through this medium so we are surprised they chose not to."

We also pressed Mr. Gbomo for a response to yet more rumors that the Nigerian military is building up arms for an imminent attack on militant positions. Here is his response from earlier today:

"We do not believe that story about the military amassing helicopters and gunboats for an invasion. It is a joke over here for us. What makes the military believe that an oil war can be won by such conventional methods that did not work for the Americans in Vietnam or Somalia. We do not have fixed positions the way the Germans had in Normandy and besides the only way mosquitoes can be eradicated is by chemical weapons and this they can not use. We are mosquitoes."

MEND explains truce to AlJazeera reporter

MEND to begin documenting activities

"Hurricane Barbarossa" as the MEND calls its recent wave of intense attacks on oil and military installations--in response to recent repressive government incursions in creek communities--has proven once again that there is no coherent system for visually documenting the human rights abuses in the Niger Delta.

It seems that the MEND has finally come around to recognize the importance of images as part of their larger struggle. As an excerpt from a recent communique states:

"If the Nigerian military is confident of its capabilities, let them be bold to take journalists and photographers to Orubiri to assess by themselves the aftermath of Barbarossa. We will henceforth begin documenting our raids by providing digital cameras and camcorders for each fighting unit."

This is good news for all of us who, in solidarity, wish to show the world the consequences of allowing the current government-industry cabal in Nigeria to operate unseen and unchecked.

Not another ministry

On Wednesday, Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua announced plans for the creation of a ministry dedicated solely to the Niger Delta that will focus on development and youth empowerment. This move comes amid a wholesale restructuring of the governments federal ministries and on the heels of the announcement of a 40 member panel, the so-called "Niger Delta Peace Committee," to begin a "dialogue" about how to resolve the conflict in the area. These two new revelations have risen out of the ashes of the failed Niger Delta Summit, which was roundly criticized and ultimately scrapped over the summer.

What is the government playing at here? The names have changed but the insincerity remains. Layering more levels of bureaucracy on top of a nearly incomprehensible system of existing commissions, development entitities, and so on, is absurd. If pre-existing entities like the NDDC don't work, and this is the message from Abuja when they anounce plans to create redundant structures, why do they still exist? In its attempt to appear concerned and keep busy on the issues of the Niger Delta, the Nigerian government has once again come off looking foolish.

MEND statement regarding the Niger Delta Peace Commitee

Issued on Friday, September 5th, 2008, by Jomo Gbomo

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) considers the 40-man Niger Delta Peace Committee which is scheduled to be inaugurated in Abuja on Monday, September 8, 2008 as the appetizer on the menu of another banquet of deceit orchestrated by an insincere government to give it a semblance of integrity.

Without the release of Henry Okah, no right thinking militant that has evaded capture can trust that the government wants genuine peace. Treating those in its custody differently from those that are in the creek is sheer hypocrisy. Henry Okah must be a part of the process and not an agenda for debate.

MEND therefore dissociates itself from this peace committee and can assure them that without putting the horse before the cart, they are bound to fail as the Gambari led one before it. Peace in the Niger Delta will be determined from the mangrove creeks and not from air-conditioned rooms in Abuja.