On this day in 2010, Nigeria’s main rebel group called off a truce in the oil-rich Niger Delta, threatening an “all-out onslaught” against the oil industry, thereby adding to the country’s political and economic woes…
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claims
to expose exploitation and oppression of the people of the Niger Delta and devastation of the natural environment by public-private partnerships between the Federal Government of Nigeria and corporations involved in the production of oil in the Niger Delta.
to expose exploitation and oppression of the people of the Niger Delta and devastation of the natural environment by public-private partnerships between the Federal Government of Nigeria and corporations involved in the production of oil in the Niger Delta.
The announcement was made at the time when Nigeria was grappling the uncertainty over the health of Late President Yar’adua, in a hospital in Saudi Arabia for more than two months, which also sparked an unprecendented political crisis.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), had declared the unilateral ceasefire on October 25 to give a chance to “meaningful” dialogue with authorities but three months into the deal MEND said: “it is sufficiently clear that the government of Nigeria has no intentions of considering the demands made by this group for the control of the resources and land of the Niger Delta to be reverted to the rightful owners, the people of the Niger Delta, hence they called off the truce.
