Skip to main content

Army presence prompts Niger Delta attacks – Avengers

Military presence in Niger Delta

Military presence in Niger Delta

A Nigerian armed group said the continued presence of the army in the southern Niger Delta energy hub has undermined peace talks and prompted attacks on oil-and-gas facilities in the region.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) spoke out days after the oil minister urged fighters to stop attacks following strikes on the Trans Forcados Pipeline, the most recent of which was claimed by the group.

Most of the armed opposition have adhered to a ceasefire in the last few weeks, while the government held talks with community leaders who, like the NDA, want a greater share of Nigeria’s energy wealth to go to the region that produces most of its oil.

“The Niger Delta Avengers cannot be blamed for the continuous bombing of crude oil export pipelines and other oil installations, since the government has been relentlessly carrying out military build-ups to continuously harass communities,” the group said on its website.

President Muhammadu Buhari sent army reinforcements in May to hunt down fighters, a move that stoked anger as residents complained of rape, looting, and arrests of youths unrelated to the armed group, charges denied by the military.

Earlier this month, Buhari met leaders from the region for the first time since the attacks began. They urged him to withdraw the army, order oil firms to move their headquarters there, and spend more on development to end the militancy.

Buhari, a former military ruler, responded by saying he would “revisit the situation” in the Niger Delta once he had considered reports from armed forces chiefs. But armed groups, including the Niger Delta Avengers, have attacked oil facilities since the talks.

“The high command of the NDA is only reacting to government’s deliberate attempts to undermine the process to dialogue and negotiations,” it said in its statement.

“The path to sustain the cessation of hostilities in the region” could not be achieved “when there are clear cases of deliberate security surge by the Nigerian government”.

Attacks since the start of the year cut the OPEC member’s oil production by more than one-third in the summer.

But with attacks becoming less frequent in the last few months, the oil minister said output had recovered to 2.1 million barrels a day. That brought it roughly back to levels before the attacks began.

Al Jazeera

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more