By Tom Burgis in Lagos
Published: October 4 2009
Three militant commanders responsible for many of the attacks that have curtailed Nigeria’s oil production agreed on Sunday to lay down their weapons after accepting the government’s offer of amnesty at the 11th hour.
The gunmen’s emergence from their bases in the mangrove swamps of the Niger delta as Sunday’s deadline for a 60-day amnesty neared marks a victory for the efforts of Umaru Yar’Adua, president, to bring stability to the oil-rich region.
Pipeline bombings and wider unrest in sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest energy producer, the fifth biggest supplier of crude to the US, has at times reduced output by as much as 40 per cent, helping to drive oil prices to last year’s high of $147 a barrel.
Yet even as the rebel leaders who command thousands of foot soldiers said they would surrender their arms in exchange for an unconditional pardon, there were warnings that violence could return.
“There are still thousands of people willing to continue fighting in the creeks and only the actions of the government can win over our brothers still bent on fighting,” Farah Dagogo, one of the commanders, said in a statement.
Along with Government Ekpemupolo, known as Tompolo, and Ateke Tom, Mr Dagogo operated under an umbrella group called the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
Some in Mend have rejected the amnesty, saying it does not address the delta’s grievances. Mend, which orchestrated a raid on Royal Dutch Shell’s deepwater Bonga field last year, told the Financial Times: “New deadly commanders are going to take over that are not known to the government.”
However, with its top commanders now retired, Mend’s capacity to strike is unclear. A ceasefire it declared before the amnesty has 11 days to run.
The delta states receive a greater share of national revenues than other parts of Nigeria. However, corruption and environmental degradation have left most inhabitants consigned to misery while a handful of politicians and militant leaders have made fortunes. A multi-billion-dollar trade in stolen oil has flourished.
Some militants who accepted the amnesty earlier have taken to the streets claiming they have not been paid a promised stipend.
The government plans to offer retired fighters vocational training but critics say the skills will be of little use without more job opportunities.
With the amnesty at an end, some delta leaders fear a repeat of May’s military offensive, which brought reprisals that knocked out almost all of Nigeria’s onshore production.
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