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    Default 'Nigeria: the context for violence' (2006-2013)

    From ICG, 3 Aug 06: The Swamps of Insurgency: Nigeria's Delta Unrest
    A potent cocktail of poverty, crime and corruption is fuelling a militant threat to Nigeria’s reliability as a major oil producer. Since January 2006, fighters from a new group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), have fought with government forces, sabotaged oil installations, taken foreign oil workers hostage and carried out two lethal car bombings. MEND demands the government withdraw troops, release imprisoned ethnic leaders and grant oil revenue concessions to Delta groups. The Nigerian government needs to forge far-reaching reforms to administration and its approach to revenue sharing, the oil companies to involve credible, community-based organisations in their development efforts and Western governments to pay immediate attention to improving their own development aid...

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    Follow-up report from ICG, 28 Sep 06: Fuelling the Niger Delta Crisis
    ...Militant groups in the Niger Delta are proliferating and mutating rapidly. Few have expressed goals beyond extorting lucrative payments from industry and government. Others are working on behalf of local politicians with electoral ambitions. Several groups appear at least loosely linked with MEND, the most cohesive and politically astute militant group to emerge so far. MEND’s spokesman has both conceded giving tacit approval to groups that carry out sabotage and kidnappings for ransom and distanced his organisations from such activities. He insists his organisation is no longer interested in carrying out the kind of small-scale attacks that have been a staple of the Niger Delta for years, and is instead preparing to deliver a single, crushing blow to the region’s oil industry unless the government agrees to sweeping economic and political reforms long sought by activists.

    Regardless of whether MEND can or will deliver on such threats, few would dispute that the security situation is deteriorating, with consequences for the oil industry. Militants recognise that they do not have to capture ground or even win major battles to accomplish their goals. They also realise that Nigeria’s military and police are insufficiently trained, unmotivated and illequipped to handle a full-fledged insurgency in the Delta’s unforgiving terrain of swamps and creeks. Shutting down Nigeria’s oil production would hurt the federal government more than any other party to the crisis and create what MEND hopes would be an environment for insurgency to flourish. President Obasanjo and his administration must urgently address the region’s grievances before the security situation further degenerates...

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    ICG appears to be the only source that continues to monitor this situation in-depth:

    Nigeria's Faltering Federal Experiment, dated 25 Oct 06

    ...Escalating violence, especially in the oil rich Niger Delta, threatens the integrity of the Nigerian state and raises the spectre of attempted coups by those who feel their privileges are being endangered. In the 46 years since Nigeria gained independence from Britain, successive governments have attempted, with varying degrees of sincerity and commitment, to fashion federal institutions that can accommodate the country’s ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity and nurture a sense of national unity. However, the leaders of these governments, at all levels, have failed to live up to their obligations to offer good governance based on equitable political
    arrangements, transparent administrative practices and accountable public conduct. Communities throughout the country increasingly feel marginalised by and alienated from the Nigerian state...

    ...The government must address these core causes of the failing federal experiment or risk that Delta militias decapitate the oil industry, intercommunal violence spirals out of control, and ethnic militias, sectarian vigilantes and separatist groups continue to plague communities. Since such a destabilised Nigeria would be highly detrimental to the entire fragile West
    African region, still struggling to recover from the wars in Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, the international community has many reasons to encourage far-reaching reforms.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jedburgh View Post
    ICG appears to be the only source that continues to monitor this situation in-depth
    I'm participating in a wargame next week that deals with it.

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    The Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Focus, 6 Jul 07:

    Nigeria's Cults and their Role in the Niger Delta Insurgency
    In Nigeria's delta region, various militant groups continue to attack multinational energy interests by blowing up infrastructure, siphoning oil and gas from pipelines and kidnapping expatriate energy staff. Additionally, these groups often attack Nigerian security services. The origin of the militant groups in the delta today can partially be explained by the evolution of Nigeria's cult groups, more generally known as confraternities. Nigerian confraternities were largely the precursor to many of the militant groups in the delta. While confraternities began in the country's universities, these gangs eventually spread to the streets and creeks of the energy-rich delta region....

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    The Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor, 2 Aug 07:

    Mujahid Dokubo-Asari: The Niger Delta's Ijaw Leader
    Among the restive Ijaw population in Nigeria's troubled, energy-rich delta region, one man stands alone as the most recognizable face of resistance: Mujahid Dokubo-Asari. Asari has been a central figure in the Ijaw cause, forming in late 2003 one of the delta's most notorious Ijaw militant groups, the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF). Through this militant youth organization, Asari fought rival gangs, siphoned oil and gas from pipelines, destroyed energy infrastructure and declared an "all-out war" on the Nigerian state. Despite his arrest in September 2005, Asari continued to communicate with his followers, and he became an important symbolic figure for various Ijaw armed groups in the delta. These groups listed Asari's detention as one of their core grievances against the Nigerian state. On June 14, 2007, partially in an effort to pacify Ijaw demands, the newly-installed government of President Umaru Yar'Adua released Asari from prison. Since regaining his freedom, Asari has continued to play a role in the Ijaw struggle....

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    LAGOS (AFP) - - Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell cut output in southern Nigeria Monday after militants sabotaged at least one of its pipelines supplying crude, officials said.

    Shell declined to say by how much production was being reduced, stressing that the amount should not be exaggerated because of the possible effect on oil prices.


    *

    "In keeping with our pledge to resume pipeline attacks within the next 30 days, detonation engineers backed by heavily armed fighters from MEND today, Monday, July 28, 2008 at about 0115 hours sabotaged two major pipelines in Rivers state of Nigeria," the MEND said in an email.

    "The first pipeline is located in Kula which has been previously sabotaged by us and the second in Rumuekpe, both belonging, we believe, to the Shell Petroleum Development Company."


    http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/2008072...l-4bdc673.html

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    The Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor, 25 Jul 08:

    The Global Repercussions of Nigeria’s Niger Delta Insurgency
    The “oilfield” wars in Nigeria’s Delta region have been in the international spotlight from the emergence of the Ken Saro-Wiwa-led Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) in 1990 to the current insurgency led by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). This latter group is known for its tactic of hostage-taking and its frequent clashes with the Nigerian military. The activities of MEND have greatly influenced peak global oil prices with consequences for production capacities and consumption.....

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    Default Vanity Fair article on Nigerian insurgency

    In the latest Vanity Fair, Sebastian Junger wrote a very good article about Nigerian troubles in the Niger Delta with insurgent groups. It's worth reading.

    Here's the link:

    http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/f...2/junger200702

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    Default A bit more...

    Good link - potential problem when considering this in tandem with M.E. conflicts and our "Hugo problem" down south - here is the intro teaser to the article:

    Blood Oil

    Could a bunch of Nigerian militants in speedboats bring about a U.S. recession? Blowing up facilities and taking hostages, they are wreaking havoc on the oil production of America's fifth-largest supplier. Deep in the Niger-delta swamps, the author meets the nightmarish result of four decades of corruption...

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    Default Globalizing this...

    As an addendum,

    U.S. urges 'fivefold expansion' in Alberta oilsands production
    Last Updated: Thursday, January 18, 2007 | 6:31 AM ET
    CBC News

    The U.S. wants Canada to dramatically expand its oil exports from the Alberta oilsands, a move that could have major implications on the environment.
    ....
    Now I'll go read the article.

    Marc
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    Okay, this pretty much ties in with the other material I have read about the Niger delta. It's time to stop acting like conquistadors and invest something in the local economy. After all, do we really want to have to fight a war in Nigeria when, with a minuscule investment in local PR, e.g. schools, clean water, etc., we can stop this insurgency before it starts?

    Honestly, as a Canadian, I don't really have to worry about this. Nigeria is the #5 source of foreign oil to the US. Want to guess what the #1 source is? Canada. If Nigeria goes into a civil war, I won't freeze. Still and all, doesn't it make sense to force the oil companies to invest in local development? It would be a situation of, to quote the great American philosopher Tom Lehrer, "doing well, by doing good."

    Marc
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    Carleton University
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    Default The Swamps of Insurgency: Nigeria’s Delta Unrest. Crisis Group Africa Report N°115, 3

    A decade later, the potential consequences of this conflict have escalated in both human and economic terms across a swathe of territory 30 times the size of Ogoniland. Nigerian and international military experts have recognised that the crisis requires a negotiated political resolution. Any attempt at a military solution would be disastrous for residents and risky for the oil industry. Most facilities are in the maze of creeks and rivers that are particularly vulnerable to raids by well-armed militants with intimate knowledge of the terrain. But inaction risks escalating and entrenching the conflict at a time when tensions are already rising in advance of the 2007 national elections.
    MEND increasingly serves as an umbrella organisation for a loose affiliation of rebel groups in the Delta. It has not revealed the identity of its leaders or the source of its funds but its actions demonstrate that it is better armed and organised than previous militant groups. Observers warn that a worst-case scenario could lead to a one to two-year shutdown of the oil industry in the Delta, where most of Nigeria’s 2.3 million daily barrels of crude oil originate.
    Full Document
    http://www.sweetcrudemovie.com/pdf/icgaugust2006.pdf

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    Default President Inaugurated in Nigeria

    31 May LA Times - President Inaugurated in Nigeria by Robyn Dixon.

    Umaru Yar'Adua was sworn in Tuesday as Nigeria's president, pledging to be a humble "servant-leader" and to push through political reform after his election last month was widely criticized by international and local observers.

    In a muted style markedly different from that of his ebullient and flamboyant predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, Yar'Adua said he would fight poverty and corruption and reduce violent crime in the oil-rich Niger Delta. The kidnappings of foreign oil workers there have intensified in recent months, casting a shadow over the country's most important industry...

    With Nigeria regularly ranked among the most corrupt countries by the independent group Transparency International, which analyzes corruption and accountability, Yar'Adua said all elected officials must change their "style and attitude."...

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    Nigeria: Failed Elections, Failing State? - ICG report, 30 May.

    Nigeria’s democracy is in crisis. The April 2007 elections were supposed to move the country to a higher rung on the democratisation ladder, create a more conducive environment to resolve its many internal conflicts and strengthen its credentials as a leading peacemaker, but instead generated serious new problems that may be pushing it further towards the status of a failed state. The declared winner, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, assumed the presidency on 29 May with less legitimacy than any previously elected president and so with less capacity to moderate and resolve its violent domestic conflicts ...

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    Default 'Nigeria: the (wide) context for violence'

    We all know that Nigeria has a large Muslim community, mainly in the north and that in several states Sharia law has been introduced. Clashes have in the past occurred between Christians and Muslims, often ended by national (federal) action.

    These two short articles illustrate: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8169359.stm and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...tion-raid.html

    (From the later) Around 70 fighters from the fundamentalist group armed with guns and grenades attacked a police station in Nigeria's northern Bauchi state early on Sunday, but retreated after officers opened fire.

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    Quote Originally Posted by davidbfpo View Post
    We all know that Nigeria has a large Muslim community, mainly in the north and that in several states Sharia law has been introduced. Clashes have in the past occurred between Christians and Muslims, often ended by national (federal) action.

    These two short articles illustrate: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8169359.stm and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...tion-raid.html
    All this extremist action along with the religious violence seems to be fairly isolated by region. Even though Christian-Muslim relations aren't perfect in Nigeria, they still for the vast majority live in peace. In addtion Nigeria has much larger problems in society then this.

    Well at least that's my two cents.
    Last edited by Kevin23; 07-26-2009 at 11:26 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin23 View Post
    All this extremist action along with the religious violence seems to be fairly isolated by region. Even though Christian-Muslim relations aren't perfect in Nigeria, they still for the vast majority live in peace. In addtion Nigeria has much larger problems in society then this.

    Well at least that's my two cents.
    Certainly Nigeria has its other problems. But it has been and still is a border state between largely Muslim northern Africa and southern Christian, animist, etc Africa. The insurgency in the oil bearing zone is fueled largely by tribal conflicts over who controls and therefore benefits from oil exploitation. The cross religious conflict is widespread and therefore potentially is a greater threat.

    Tom

    Nigeria: Scores die after battle with militants

    LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- As many as 150 people may have been killed as Islamic militants battled Nigerian government police and troops Sunday and Monday in the north-central part of the nation, officials said.

    More than 150 alleged militants were arrested by Nigerian police after clashes.

    Police and troops were dispatched to the militants' hideouts after militants began attacks on government establishments early Sunday, said police spokesman Moses Anegbode.

    As authorities exchanged fire with the militants, 41 people, including a soldier and a policeman, were killed, Anegbode said. In addition, some 176 people were arrested in Bauchi, he said.

    Besides Bauchi, militants also staged attacks on the nearby states of Yobe and Borno on Sunday and Monday, said Emmanuel Ojukwu, spokesman for the national police.

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    Default Accidental Taliban?

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...ss_world/wires

    no conclusive evidence of al Qaeda's presence in Nigeria or of links to the Taliban in Afghanistan have been made public and Boko Haram's apparently chaotic tactics have little in common with those of Islamic militant groups elsewhere
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8172270.stm

    The BBC's Caroline Duffield, in Lagos, says the group's member have isolated themselves from the rest of the community. She says there have been incidents where local groups have prevented them from meeting in mosques and there is very little support for their stance in the wider community…. no-one seems to know just how big a threat the so-called Taliban pose, how big their membership is, or what their next move could be.
    Further updates on: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8172437.stm

    Couldn't resist the title.

    davidbfpo

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    I just got back from Nigeria where I visited two northern states in preparation for a proposal for a usaid project focusing on local governance. Usaid has 3 current procurements in governance, health and education totalling somthing like $150 million.

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