Nigeria's main militant group in the oil rich Niger Delta region, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), has announced an indefinite ceasefire with immediate effects.

Jomo Gbomo, the group's spokesperson, said in a statement reaching here on Sunday that the decision is to encourage the process of dialogue between the government and the team that MEND has selected to negotiate its demands for a lasting peace in the Niger Delta region.

"On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, the Federal Government of Nigeria expressed its readiness to engage in serious and meaningful dialogue with every group or individual towards achieving a lasting peace in the Niger Delta," the statement said.

"This welcome shift in position conveyed to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) by Mr. Henry Okah after his meeting with President Umaru Yar'Adua on Monday, October 19, 2009 indicated the willingness of the government to negotiate with the MEND Aaron team," it added.

"To encourage the process of dialogue between the government and the team that MEND has selected to negotiate its demands for a lasting peace in the Niger Delta region, an indefinite ceasefire has been ordered and takes effect from 0000Hrs, Sunday, October 25,2009," the group said.

"The Aaron Team has been modified with the exit of Ms. Annkio Briggs by mutual consent. She has been replaced as the group's liaison with immediate effect by Mr. Amagbe Denzel Kentebe," it added.

On Tuesday, President Yar'Adua and MEND leader Henry Okah met to defuse the threat by the group to resume attacks on oil installations at the expiration of a ceasefire on Oct. 15.

The group's spokesperson had said in a statement that MEND would resume its hostilities against the Nigerian oil industry, the Nigerian armed forces and its collaborators.

"The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will resume attacks on the oil industry at the expiration of our ceasefire," the statement said.

"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 added.

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

In June, the Nigerian government offered amnesty to gunmen in the oil rich Niger Delta region, urging them to lay down their weapons by Oct. 4 in a bid to end unrest which has cost Africa's top oil exporter billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Over 8,000 Nigerian armed youths gave up their weapons and embrace amnesty offered by the Nigerian government in the most concerted effort yet to end years of fighting in the oil-rich producing region.

The Niger Delta is an unstable area where inter-ethnic clashes are commonplace. Access to oil revenue is the trigger for the violence.

Over 300 foreigners have been seized in the Niger Delta since 2006. Almost all have been released unharmed after paying a ransom.

Attacks and bunkering on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have cut Nigeria's output by around a fifth in recent years, helping push world oil prices to record highs since the beginning of 2006.

The unrest in the region has forced many international firms to flee the area. The government mobilized the Nigerian army and coast guard in an anti-banditry operation.

2009-10-25 .xinhuanet.com