SHELL GAS PLANT ATTACKED: SOME DEATHS; 5 KOREAN, 1

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000775

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W
STATE FOR INR/AA
DS/IP/AF
DS/ICI/PII
DS/DSS/ITA
DS/OSAC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2016
TAGS: EPET PGOV PTER KHLS PINR KS NI DELTAVIOLENCE
SUBJECT: SHELL GAS PLANT ATTACKED: SOME DEATHS; 5 KOREAN, 1
NIGERIAN CONTRACTOR KIDNAPPED


Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reason 1.4 (D/E).


1. (SBU) A Shell Petroleum Development Company gas plant in
Chawthorne Channel, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was
attacked Wednesday, June 7 at 0100. Press reported between
five and nine deaths among government security forces when
armed assailants attacked their houseboat. Military sources
have not yet confirmed these fatalities. Shell and the
Korean Embassy confirmed five South Korean Daewoo and Korean
Gas contractors and one Nigerian employee, all working on a
Shell project, were kidnapped.


2. (SBU) An email purported to be from the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND),stated the attack was
due to the GON's continued incarceration of Dokubo Asari,
leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF),
on treason charges. The email offered to exchange the
hostages for Asari and stated attacks on oil facilities would
increase in the coming weeks unless Asari was freed.
(Comment: On June 6, a court in Abuja denied Asari's bail
request. This decision likely sparked the attack. End
comment.)


3. (C) Korean Embassy First Secretary Tok-Won Lee confirmed
to us the five Korean hostages are: Chang-Ahn Park, Ok-Kyu
Kim, Hyuk-Jun Kim, Sang-Bom Kim, and Hee-Dong Kim, and
confirmed with Daewoo representatives there were no Korean
national fatalities. The Korean mission has had no
communication from the kidnappers. Shell has evacuated all
non-essential personnel from its gas facility.


4. (SBU) We have no reports of Amcits involved in the recent
attack. However, post is in touch with several American oil
service companies operating in immediate vicinity of
Chawthorne Channel, and will continue to exchange updates and
monitor their security situation.


5. (SBU) Post is in contact with the Korean Mission in Lagos
and we are attempting to facilitate their contact with GON
officials.


6. (C) Comment: This attack was brusque and bloody even by
the rough standards of the Niger Delta. Clearly, some Ijaw
militants are angry that Dokubo Asari is still detained and
that the GON has not appeared to be visibly active in
honoring its promises to launch an economic development
initiative for the Niger Delta. What is also apparent is
that some faction of MEND is involved. What is less clear is
if the architects of this attack belong to the Federated
Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC)-based segment of MEND
that usually operates in Delta State and Rivers State. FNDIC
orchestrated the January and February hostage takings and the
February attacks on oil installations that have reduced
Nigeria's output by a quarter. Since then, FNDIC has been
quiescent, stating it will abide an informal cease-fire in
order to give the GON time to honor its economic development
vows. FNDIC involvement in this latest incident would mean
that it has discarded the informal cease-fire. If so, this
incident may be a prelude to even more attacks against
workers and possibly installations. End comment.
BROWNE