MILITANTS ATTACK CHEVRON CONVOY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000983 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS DOE FOR DAS GPERSON AND CGAY STATE PASS DOT FOR MARAD STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2016 TAGS: EPET PGOV ASEC PTER PINR NI SUBJECT: MILITANTS ATTACK CHEVRON CONVOY Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reasons 1.4 (D & E) ¶1. (C) Senior Chevron Nigeria management confirmed approximately 25 militants in five boats attacked a six-vessel Chevron convoy in the Chanomi Creek area around Warri South-East Local Government, Delta State, the night of July 12. Five Nigerian Government Joint Task Force (JTF) gun boats were escorting the convoy to Chevron's Escravos facilities. Three JTF gun boats escaped, while militants held the other two until approximately 3:30 a.m. Sources report significant shooting and four Nigerian soldiers killed during the attack. The military has not formally confirmed any deaths. Chevron has five injured Nigerian soldiers in its local clinic in Warri. Forty-four Nigerian Chevron contractors were briefly detained during the attack, but were let go unharmed. After the convoy was released, the Chevron vessels and contractors returned to Warri; Chevron management reported the GON and Delta State government rendered assistance after the attack. Chevron is currently debriefing its contractors, and will relay additional information on the attack as available. ¶2. (C) Chevron management said they did not believe Chevron was the target of the attack, as no Chevron contractors were harmed, nor equipment stolen from their vessels. Rather, they view the JTF as the militants' intended target. (Comment: Until now, Chevron has successfully avoided being a militant target during the last few months. Even if the attack had the JTF as its intended target, the attack may place Chevron in a quandary regarding the efficacy and need for JTF protection. If the JTF presence provokes attacks, would the company be better off without the JTF? If similar attacks begin to occur, then the militants may be trying to orchestrate an estrangement between the companies and the Nigeria security authorities. End Comment) ¶3. (C) Shell security sources told us last night's attack was "very significant." They believe elements from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) are sending a strong signal to the GON of their increasing impatience with government efforts to address their demands for development in the Niger Delta. BROWNE