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Finance & Stock Groups Forum Index » Mutual Funds » Nigeria militants threaten new "oil war" if attacked
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 Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:17 pm |
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Nigeria militants threaten new "oil war" if attacked
Tue 11 Nov 2008, 6:39 GMT
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's most prominent militant group threatened
on Monday to renew attacks on the oil sector if soldiers stormed its
hideouts, but a military spokesman denied such plans.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it
believed the military was planning to launch an assault on two of its
camps in Delta and Bayelsa states in southern Nigeria
"This will be a big mistake as it will lead to another oil war where
we are sure of a landslide victory," it said in an e-mailed statement.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Musa, spokesman for the military task force
in Bayelsa, denied any plan to attack militant camps.
"It is always a media war. They are just trying to hype the tension,"
he said.
In September MEND staged what it called a six-day "oil war," attacking
oil installations and forcing Royal Dutch Shell to warn it might not
be able to meet all its export commitments from Nigeria.
The group has since declared a ceasefire and repeatedly accused the
military of trying to provoke it into confrontation.
Attacks by MEND have cut Nigeria's oil output by around a fifth since
early 2006. The country is currently pumping just under 2 million
barrels per day, well below its capacity of around 3 million bpd,
because of the insecurity and chronic funding shortfalls.
The militant group said on Sunday it would continue to hold two
Britons hostage until the British government dropped plans to train
Nigerian soldiers in the delta, the heart of the OPEC member's oil
sector.
The two captives were among 27 oil workers kidnapped by gunmen in
early September.
At least 21 of the hostages have been released and MEND said it freed
four others late on Sunday. But a military spokesman on Monday could
not confirm the release of the four hostages.
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnJOE4AA035.html |
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