SITREP 11: 5 AMCITS REMAIN HOSTAGES; POOR DELTA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000344 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC, CA/OCS/ACS/AF FOR MESARITI ZAGREB FOR AMBASSADOR BRADTKE WARSAW FOR LISA PIASCIK CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR ISTANBUL FOR TASHAWNA SMITH SAO PAULO FOR ANDREW WITHERSPOON DOE FOR GPERSON, CAROLYN GAY TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 11: 5 AMCITS REMAIN HOSTAGES; POOR DELTA STATE COMMUNICATION--DISTRESSING CALLS TO FAMILIES REF: LAGOS 338 LAGOS 00000344 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Four American citizens employed by Global Industries (GI) abducted May 8 remain hostages. Telephone calls from the four Americans have escalated their families' anxieties. GI plans to send representatives to meet Delta State government officials. Chevron's six employees, including American citizen John Stapleton, four Italians, and one Croatian, abducted May 1 remain hostages. Bayelsa Governor Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly shifted responsibility for this case from the Deputy Governor to Dr. Godknows Igali, Secretary to the State Government. End Summary. -------------- Delta/GI: Hostage Calls Distress Families -------------- ¶2. (SBU) American citizens Kevin Faller, Christopher Gay, Michael Rousell, and Larry Plake, employed by Global Industries (GI),begin their seventh day as hostages. A trend has emerged in which the kidnappers allow the hostages to telephone their families. The frequency of these telephone calls has escalated the families' fears and anxieties. The kidnappers likely believe this will result in public and private pressure on the companies and the Nigerian government to resolve this situation quickly, which would give the kidnappers added leverage in negotiations. ¶3. (SBU) On May 14, Michael Rousell told his wife he had not received his blood pressure medication, nor had any of the welfare packages been received. Mrs. Rousell asked the ACS unit chief when GI would pay the ransom and why there was "no exchange at the hotel?" (Note: Apart from Mrs. Rousell's comment, we have no independent knowledge of a purported "hotel exchange." End Note.) Similarly, Mr. Faller told his wife on May 14 the militants wanted to settle with GI but that the Nigerian government was "holding back the process." Mrs. Faller reported that during the conversation she could hear the militants speaking before her husband, implying they were instructing him what to say. She commented the words he used were not of his usual vocabulary but that his tone was genuine and suggested the situation was worsening. Lastly, Mr. Plake told his wife on May 14 his telephone privileges would be revoked the following day. Plake said they were hurriedly locked in a room on May 14 when an unknown boat approached the camp. He told his wife he was concerned the GI representative on the ground was not "doing anything" and instructed his wife to contact additional GI employees and request their involvement as the kidnappers were losing patience and "have one way of dealing with this, and that is lock, load, and shoot." ¶4. (SBU) GI told us on May 14 they plan to send LAGOS 00000344 002.2 OF 002 representatives to the Delta Region to meet either Delta State Governor James Ibori or the Governor-elect and current Secretary to the State Government, Emmanuel Uduaghan. SIPDIS -------------- Bayelsa/Chevron: Proof of Life Sought; Igali Given the Lead Over Deputy Governor -------------- ¶5. (C) American citizen John Stapleton, four Italian nationals, and one Croatian remain hostages. Chevron representatives did not speak with government officials on May 14. However, on May 15 the Chevron crisis group discussed requesting State Security Service (SSS) to provide proof of life. Governor Goodluck Jonathan appeared to be shifting responsibility of this matter from the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa to Dr. Godknows Igali, Secretary to the State Government. Igali has more experience at hostage negotiations than the Deputy. ¶6. (C) A third set of letters from the hostages' families has been prepared to pass to the Bayelsa Government. Chevron has not received confirmation of delivery for the previous letters or welfare packages. Chevron's crisis group expected an imminent release of the hostages and Managing Director Fred Nelson expressed interest in meeting Governor Jonathan either May 16 or 17. (Comment: We suspect this hostage incident, as stated in the press statement purportedly made by MEND, may continue through the end of May, when President-elect Yar'Adua will be inaugurated. End Comment.) BROWNE