Nigerian Rebels Declare Cease-Fire in Oil Region

An oil and gas terminal in the Niger Delta. Nigeria's main armed militant group says it has destroyed a key pipeline run by Royal Dutch Shell in the sixth attack in nearly as many days and vowed to reduce oil exports to "zero". (AFP/File/Pius Utomi Ekpei)

From The New York Times:

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s main militant group declared a unilateral cease-fire in the southern oil region on Sunday. If it holds, it will end the worst spate of militant attacks to afflict the region in years.

The group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, said it would cease hostilities immediately, in response to appeals from elders and politicians in the region.

The group said, however, that it would retaliate if the Nigerian military struck any of its base camps.

The militant group emerged about three years ago, calling for more oil revenue to go to the southern states where the petroleum is pumped. Three years of attacks have cut Nigeria’s oil production from 2.5 million barrels per day to around 1.5 million barrels.

A military operation on Sept. 14 prompted the latest violence. Before that, clashes between the military and the militants were rare, with the two sides avoiding outright confrontation.

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More News On Nigeria

Nigeria militants call oil truce -- Financial Times
Nigerian Rebels Declare Ceasefire in Delta -- Voice Of America
Militants Suspend Attacks on Oil Facilities -- This Day
Crude Oil Falls After Nigerian Militants Call End to Attacks -- Bloomberg
Nigerian militants halt 'oil war' -- BBC
Nigerian militants declare ceasefire in delta -- Forbes/Reuters
Nigerian armed group declares ceasefire in 'oil war' -- AFP

My Comment: I have lost count in the past six months on how many ceasefires have been arranged in this part of Nigeria. Like most of Africa, Nigeria is becoming a failed state in which numerous factions and ethnic groups are fighting among each other for resources and money. I expect the oil producing area of Nigeria to fall into this status as a failed state very soon.