16 November 2009

Nigeria's president held "frank and fruitful" talks with former oil rebel leaders on Saturday in an effort to end the conflict in the Niger Delta region, his spokesman said Sunday.

President Umaru Yar'Adua met the ex-chiefs of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the main rebel group.

Militants have waged a violent campaign against facilities in the oil-rich area for more than three years, saying they are fighting for greater share of oil wealth for their communities.

Olusegun Adeniyi, Yar'Adua's spokesman, said Saturday's discussions were "frank and fruitful" and the president "used the session to reiterate his commitment to the overall peace and development of the Niger Delta."

The Nobel prize-winning author Wole Soyinka also took part in the talks, Adeniyi said.

MEND, represented at the talks by Henry Okah and Farah Dagogo, said in a statement the two hours of talks were "frank, cordial and useful."

"This meeting heralds the beginning of serious, meaningful dialogue between MEND and the Nigerian government to deal with and resolve root issues that have long been swept under the carpet," the statement read.

Rebel activities slashed Nigeria's oil output by around a third, from 2.6 million barrels a day in 2006 to around 1.7 million.

In June Yar'Adua decided to offer an amnesty which saw thousands surrender their arms, and though MEND did not take part in the amnesty, it did declare an indefinite ceasefire on October 25 to allow talks to go ahead.

Sapa-AFP