16 Oct 2009

Nigeria's main armed opposition group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, has threatened to resume the 'oil war' after a three-months truce.

In its latest statement published on Thursday, Niger Delta's militants spoke of an imminent attack on government plants in the oil-rich country's restive south and southwest.

The rebels' spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, warned that MEND could "most likely" declare conflict against the government following the collapse of negotiations meant to settle oil revenue issues between the warring sides.

The decision to reengage in conflict "will be confirmed after midnight tonight," AFP quoted Gbomo as saying.

MEND's latest announcement comes in the wake of a rejected amnesty offer by Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua in a bid to stop four years of hostilities in Africa's largest oil and natural gas reserves.

Niger Delta militia had previously warned those who embrace the government offer to lay down arms and vowed "attacks against the oil industry at the expiration of our ceasefire." The three-month truce inked in July was agreed to allow for peace talks.

With the failure of amnesty proposal, Nigeria's guerrillas pledged to shift tactics in their quest for larger oil share.

"MEND considers this next phase of our struggle as the most critical as we intend to end 50 years of slavery of the people of the Niger Delta by the Nigerian government, a few individuals and the western oil companies once and for all," it said in an e-mail last week.

"In this next phase, we will burn down all attacked installations and no longer limit our attacks to the destruction of pipelines," the fighters threatened.

MEND's insurgency has slashed Nigeria's oil output by around one million barrels per day from the original 2.6.

The insurgents have carried out kidnappings of expatriates employed in the oil industry as well as bombings of oil and natural gas works across the Delta.

presstv