OIL WORKER HOSTAGE UPDATE SITREP #22 - HOSTAGES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000137 SIPDIS STATE PASS DOE FOR DAS JBRODMAN AND CGAY TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS AND SRENENDER COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ STATE FOR DS/IP/AF, AF/EX, DS/IP/OPO, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/ITA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016 TAGS: EPET PGOV ASEC PTER KHLS PINR ETRD CASC NI SUBJECT: OIL WORKER HOSTAGE UPDATE SITREP #22 - HOSTAGES HEADING HOME REF: LAGOS 130 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reasons 1.4 (D & E) ¶1. (C) The four hostages left Lagos late last night bound for London aboard a British Airways flight. AmCit Pat Landry will leave London today for Houston. (Note: Post received confirmation that Mr. Landry's flight is now on the way to Houston. End note.) Harry Ebanks will fly to Miami with Ivan Romero, the Honduran attach in London. Milko Nitchev, the Bulgarian hostage, has an onward flight today for Sofia. British national Nigel Watson-Clarke has been reunited with his family. ¶2. (C) The quartet met Consulate officers prior to departing Lagos last night and described details of their captivity. Mr. Landry said there were about thirty militants constantly in the camp, but the number would change depending on whether they were going on raids. Scores of armed men mustered in the area before the Benisede raid. The hostages said the militants bragged about their raids and disavowed all connections with the spate of armed robberies, even making threats against the groups responsible. Landry indicated that most members of the group wore headbands and face paint, while some wore black masks. Drugs and alcohol use was common among them. Describing the group dynamics of their captors, the hostages stated that no one leader seemed dominant but several of them were the clearly recognized leaders. The group was fairly well disciplined and the hostages did not notice any schism within the group. ¶3. (C) The hostages stated that their prime contact was with the group leader while the rank and file kept their distance by and large. The hostages were treated to a regular diet of Ijaw nationalist rhetoric demanding control of oil resources, decrying the environmental degradation of the Delta, and grousing about the lack of concern by the GON and oil companies. The kidnappers asserted lack of interest in ransom and stated their aims were political and social. They also claimed that they would react ardently to any GON military reprisal. Throughout this ordeal the kidnappers assured the hostages they would not be mistreated but added that they were prepared to take other hostages or assault oil facilities. One of the hostages said their captors did threaten to kidnap and do bodily harm to other expatriates should the hostages make any unfavorable public statements once they were released. ¶4. (C) The captors also told the hostages that they planned an unspecified operation in the Delta between February 3-5. One hostage heard the operation would take place February 10. ¶5. (C) All four hostages were given identical letters to deliver to their governments (the one given to Landry was turned over to FBI),listing demands and threatening additional actions if their conditions were not met. ¶6. (C) Below is the verbatim text of the letter. Begin Text THE MOVEMENT FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE NIGER DELTA Press Release: HOSTAGES RELEASED; FURTHER ACTIONS SURE. The four(4) hostages held 11th January,2006 as pointers to the determination for the liberation of the Niger Delta by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND),have been conditionally released 12;00 hours of Sunday night,29th January,2006. Suffice to alert the World over that our movement and the Federal Government of Nigeria have reached substantial agreement on our fundamental demands for the Niger Delta people if the latter characteristic-to-type does not renege. For the international community and the decent minds of the Nigerian public like Prof. Wole Soyinka, here are a few of our pertinent demands: (1). Immediate and unconditional release of Alhaji Asari Mujahid Dokubo, Former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force(NDPVF). (2). Immediate and unconditional halt and release of Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (JP),Governor of Bayelsa State who is under-going political trial and persecution. (3). Immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Joshua Macaiva a youth leader arrested in Bayelsa State for protesting against the inhuman activities of oil Multi- Nationals at Lokpobiri 2004. (4). Immediate and unconditional demilitarization of the Niger Delta for, the vices of rape, arson, genocide and bunkering committed by the military have become unbearably embarrassing to the Niger Delta and particularly the Ijaw Nation. (5). That Anglo/Dutch Shell Must immediately pay the approved sum of $1.5 billion compensation by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 to the Government and people of Bayelsa State for environmental degradation due to its oil exploration activities in the region for over four decades. (6). That our activities are not pecuniary and ransom-based. We shall receive no money from any quarters and to unequivocally dissociate from any such body of persons. (7). We express our regret over the media/public disinformation embarked upon by section of Ijaw purported leaders as a result of this genuine struggle and strictly warned that same fate awaits them henceforth. (8). We finally urge the international community; The United States of America and the United Kingdom governments in particular to advise the Nigeria Government to stop their planned attacks on Ijaw Communities. Such plans would be resisted with our native military capabilities to fruition whilst we promise to incapacitate oil exploration and exploitation for ten (10) years only. "A WORD IS ENOUGH". Signed: Maj. Gen. Tamuno Godswill (Field Commander) Col. Oyinye B. Alaebi (Director Operations) End Text BROWNE