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Nigerian Militants Call off Truce With Government

   Movement  for  Emancipation  of  Niger  Delta says it does not believe
   government  will  meet  demands  for  greater control of region''s oil
   resources, land

   Gilbert da Costa 30 January 2010

   The main militant group in Nigeria's oil-rich south has called off its
   three-month-old ceasefire with the government.
   The  Movement  for  the  Emancipation  of  the  Niger  Delta  issued a
   statement  Saturday,  saying  it  does not believe the government will
   meet  its  demands  for  greater  control  of  the  Niger  Delta's oil
   resources and land.
   The group says the oil industry in the region should expect an all-out
   onslaught against its pipelines and workers.
   For  nearly  four  years,  militants  in the Niger Delta have attacked
   pipelines,  kidnapped  oil workers, and fought with government troops,
   saying they are seeking a fairer share of oil revenue for locals.
   However,  the  attacks  became less frequent beginning late last year,
   when  thousands  of militants accepted an amnesty offer from President
   Umaru Yar'Adua and laid down their arms.
   President  Yar'Adua  has  been  hospitalized for more than two months,
   leading  to  a delay in government negotiations with the rebels in the
   Niger Delta.
   At  the  peak of the attacks in the region, the violence cut Nigeria's
   crude oil production by about one million barrels per day.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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