NGO ACTIVIST: OGONI SYMPATHY FOR VIOLENT APPROACH

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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: 12/15/2016
TAGS: ASEC ELAB EPET PGOV PINR NI
SUBJECT: NGO ACTIVIST: OGONI SYMPATHY FOR VIOLENT APPROACH
INCREASING

REF: ABUJA 3070

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Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reasons 1.4 (D & E)


1. (C) Summary: Violence as a vehicle to express frustration
at the lack of economic development in Rivers State is
gaining sympathy within the Ogoni community and will be
compounded by a likely upsurge in political violence
surrounding the 2007 elections, warned environmental and
human rights activist Chris Newsome (strictly protect),a
close ally of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni
People (MOSOP). The dialogue between the Government of
Nigeria (GON),Shell, MOSOP, and others claiming to represent
the Ogoni has been ongoing for a year, but all the parties
are seldom at the same table at the same time. The Ogoni
relationship with Shell has broken down. The Ogoni see
continued negotiations as useless. Many want a new company
to operate the concession on their land. End Summary.


2. (C) In a November 20 visit to Poloff, Chris Newsome,
environmental and human rights activist and ally of the
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP),told
Poloff that some members of the Ogoni community have been
considering embracing violence as a vehicle for change.
Heretofore MOSOP has maintained a nonviolent policy and has
tried hard to distinguish the Ogoni from armed Niger Delta
militant groups that kidnap oil workers and attack
facilities. However, as these violent tactics have literally
started to pay off financially and publicity-wise, some Ogoni
have become critical of MOSOP's pacific approach. For
example, Newsome said militants among the Ogoni recently
complained publicly that MOSOP's peaceful efforts have gained
nothing. The government's failure to address their concerns
has also had an impact on many Ogoni, Newsome said.
Moreover, Ogonis are increasingly impatient with Shell. They
see Shell's activities as suspect. For example, Newsome said
Shell insisted on unrestricted access to the Yorla Well-13,
ostensibly to extinguish a fire that had been burning for
several weeks. The Ogoni saw the move as a land grab, and
feared that such unrestricted access would give Shell carte
blanche to engage in other, perhaps objectionable activities
besides just handling the fire. (Note: Newsome did not
specify what activities the Ogoni feared. End Note.)


3. (C) The breakdown in the relationship between the Ogoni
has reached the point where the Ogoni would rather another
company replace Shell. The Federal Government has lost
patience with the Shell Petroleum Development
Company-Ogoni-GON dialogue process, Newsome said. (See also
Reftel) Dialogue between government, Shell, MOSOP, and other
Ogoni representatives occurs but the three parties are never
together at the same meeting, Newsome said. Ogoni
representatives such as the Local Government Area Chairman
and the Ogoni's State Assembly representative are in the
"government's pocket," further compounding the problem,
Newsome said. The dialogue process has already stretched
over 12 months because government and Shell are afraid to
broach key issues, according to Newsome.


4. (C) Development projects ostensibly for the benefit of
the Ogoni only benefit politicians, Newsome went on. A road
constructed in Ogoniland leads straight to the PDP Chairman's
village, and benefits none of the other villages in the area.
More troubling, Newsome divulged, is the government's
failure to provide consistent electricity to Ogoniland. The
Eleme gas turbine provided power to the Ogoni from 2003 to

2005. Then it broke down. The government has still not
repaired nor replaced it. Eleme is the Ogoni's sole source
of power. The surrounding Ogoni area is not attached to the
national grid, Newsome complained.


5. (C) Shell's pumping stations are in a scandalous state of

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disrepair, Newsome alleged, and are the source of massive
environmental degradation in Ogoniland. The situation is
currently being assessed by the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP),a process Newsome described as not having
been vetted with the Ogoni. Thus far the UNEP team has only
visited government house, Newsome said. However, during the
team's next visit it will meet Ogoniland indigenes and
experience the area's pollution and degradation first-hand.


6. (C) As the Rivers State People's Democratic Party (PDP)
is highly centralized, dissenters and political opposition
figures lie low, Newsome said. However, the potential for
violence against government and oil companies will rise once
the elections are disputed, which they invariably will be,
Newsome asserted. As in 2003, weapons continue to flood the
Niger Delta. Since the Delta has seen little economic
improvement since 2003, Newsome warned, it is critical small
NGOs act now to assess what leverage they may be able to
exert over government and oil companies to mitigate violence
in the coming months.

COMMENT
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7. (C) Political violence in Rivers State is a reality; it
reared its ugly head this year during the PDP primaries and
our interlocutor believes it will likely increase existing
tensions in Ogoniland during the upcoming election season.
End Comment.
BROWNE