Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua is to state the details of an appeal of amnesty to militants of the Niger Delta in an on-going effort to bring calm to the unstable oil-rich region. The announcement comes a day after a visit by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and an entourage of delegates from Russia’s top energy firms, which saw the signing of a 2.5 billion dollar deal between Russian energy giant Gazprom and the Nigerian state-run NNPC- A joint venture, which will see the construction of oil refineries and gas power stations in Nigeria.
The new deal, which comes into existence as a company under the name of Nigaz, is part of Russia’s efforts to expand its hold over resources and markets in the African continent amid a period of growing competition posed by other global players in the area. China especially, seems to be largely ahead of Russia with regard to its holdings in the area. On Thursday, Chinese oil-refiner Sinopec made a 7.2 billion dollar bid to acquire oil exploration and producing firm Addax, which focuses on exploration in the Middle East and Africa. A deal on this would be the biggest foreign takeover by a Chinese firm.
Russia has also expressed the idea of developing a trans-African pipeline to transport Nigerian gas to Europe- A move that would reinforce Gazprom’s already significant influence over European energy supplies.
But investment by Russian firms in the country means that Nigeria has to ensure stability is reached in the volatile region and an end to militant attacks of vandalism on oil pipelines and pumping stations is achieved. The latest appeal for amnesty offers an official pardon to current militants if they lay down their arms. Part of the deal promises a rehabilitation programme, education and training.
Although the Niger Delta Vigilante Movement has agreed to lay down its arms to partake in the proposed resolution, the largest militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation for the Niger Delta (MEND) has demanded a guarantee that its activists would not be targeted by state authorities if they agree to end attacks on vandalism on the oil pipelines and pumping stations.
A warning attack on an oil pipeline owned by Royal-Dutch Shell was carried out by MEND today, with a media statement from the militants addressing Russian President Medvedev. “This is the fate that awaits the gas pipelines you plan to invest in [in] Nigeria if justice is not factored in the whole process”.
MEND and other militant groups have been carrying out attacks against oil companies as a form of protesting what they regard as an unfair exploitation of the country’s resources by the large companies and the government that have not given a fair share of benefit to the people of the region.
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