NIGER DELTA EX-MILITANTS GROW IMPATIENT, BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002334

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA;

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EPET NI
SUBJECT: NIGER DELTA EX-MILITANTS GROW IMPATIENT, BUT

REFRAIN FROM RESUMING ATTACKS

Classified By: Acting DCM James P. McAnulty
for reasons in sections 1.4 (b) and (d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Ex-militants reportedly have grown increasingly
impatient over perceived Nigerian Government (GON) inaction
on post-amnesty rehabilitation and reintegration, but have
refrained thus far from engaging in renewed attacks. A
Movement for the Emancipation of the Delta (MEND)
spokesperson attempted to exploit such frustration by
claiming December 19 that militants had attacked a major
pipeline in the Niger Delta. Not surprisingly, the MEND
claim turned out to be false. Vice President Goodluck
Jonathan met with Defense Minister retired General Godwin
Abbe to discuss implementation of Niger Delta post-amnesty
process, including continued payment of stipends to
ex-militants. Separately, the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) representative prepared a letter on behalf of
international partners offering to engage the GON further on
the Niger Delta. END SUMMARY.

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EX-MILITANTS GROWING IMPATIENT OVER GON INACTION
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2. (C) Niger Delta stakeholders told PolMilOff December 10
that progress in the post-amnesty rehabilitation process
remained "completely stalled" and would move forward only if
international partners placed "significant external pressure"
on the GON to act on promises of development and ex-militant
training. Niger Delta Technical Committee (NDTC) Chairperson
and Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)
President Ledum Mitee, University of Nigeria Professor and
Institute for Sustainable Development Head Okey Ibeanu, and
Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) Country Director Inemo
Samiama told PolMilOff that ex-militants had quickly grown
impatient in camps in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States,
which they recently visited. They asked for a strong USG
statement that not only expressed support for the peace
process, but called for "a clear timetable, measurable
indicators, transparency, and independent monitoring" of the
process.


3. (C) Similarly, UNDP consultants remarked that, during
their visits to rehabilitation camps in Bayelsa and Rivers
States, they noted that ex-militants had become impatient
over alleged GON inaction on the post-amnesty process.
Mulade also emphasized during a December 19 telephone
conversation with Lagos PolOff that discontent among
ex-militants was mounting and becoming increasingly difficult
to control.

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MEND SPOKESPERSON MAKES FALSE CLAIM -- AGAIN
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4. (U) MEND spokesperson Jomo Gbomo announced December 19
that 35 armed militants had breached a major Shell or Chevron
crude oil delivery pipeline in the creeks near Abonnema,
Rivers State. Gbomo reportedly justified this "warning
strike" by claiming that the GON had used President
Yar'Adua's illness "to stall" the peace process. (N.B.: The
Associated Press carried the story, under the heading
"Nigerian militants attack oil pipeline," which the
Department Operations Center passed along to Embassy early
December 19 to confirm.) Ultimately, various Nigerian and
oil sector contacts informed Ambassador, Acting DCM, Economic
Qoil sector contacts informed Ambassador, Acting DCM, Economic
Counselor, ConGen Lagos Officers, and PolMilOff that no
attack had actually occurred. Rivers Governor told
Ambassador December 19, for example, that the Joint Task
Force Commander had informed him that no attack had occurred,
but a pipeline had suffered a break at Soko. Similarly,
Presidential Advisor Sani Musa told Acting DCM December 19
that no attack had occurred but that a pipeline had
experienced a leak earlier in the week. Gbaramatu Youth
Council President Sheriff Mulade, who maintains close contact
with former militants, told Lagos PolOff December 19 that no
attack had occurred. Dutch diplomat Ronald Sonneman
confirmed to PolMilOff December 23 that Shell had performed a
fly-over of all facilities and performed pressure checks of
all pipelines, determining no evidence of any attack or

ABUJA 00002334 002 OF 002


spill. A U.S. business executive at Chevron told Lagos
EconOff that all its facilities remained secure and that a
spill had occurred earlier in the week.

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VICE PRESIDENT MEETS WITH DEFENSE MINISTER
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5. (C) Several newspapers reported December 22 that Vice
President Goodluck Jonathan had met with Minister of Defense
retired General Abbe to discuss the alleged threats of attack
by MEND on oil facilities. Deputy Principal Advisor to the
Vice President Mike Arokoyo, however, informed PolMilOff
December 23 that Vice President Jonathan had met with General
Abbe December 21 to discuss the post-amnesty process,
specifically continued payments to ex-militants -- and not
the alleged MEND attack. Arokoyo opined that MEND had
attempted to take credit falsely for the pipeline spill to
apply pressure to the GON.

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UNDP PARTNERS OFFER TO ENGAGE GON FURTHER ON NIGER DELTA
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6. (C) UK High Commissioner Bob Dewar, Ambassadors Per
Lindgarde of Sweden (as representative of the current
European Union Presidency) and Angel Losada of Spain (as
representative of the incoming European Union Presidency),
European Union Charge d'Affairs Pierre Philippe, World Bank
Country Director Onno Ruhl, and U.S. Agency for International
Development Director signed a letter in Abuja December 18
offering to engage the GON further on the Niger Delta. The
letter included a working paper on "Support for
Stabilization, Recovery, and Development in the Niger Delta,"
that expressed support for continued peace-building and
conflict prevention efforts, without committing donor nations
to future contributions of funding and technical assistance.
The working paper provided short, mid, and long-term
priorities from a UN-drafted Operations Plan provided to
General Abbe at his request. UNDP has not publicly released
the Operations Plan, at the request of the GON Amnesty
committee, which has used the plan in "checklist format,"
according to Turhan. Turhan stated that UNDP remained
"extremely concerned" about GON failure to launch the DRR
process and reluctance by the Amnesty Committee to leverage
international expertise.

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COMMENT
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7. (C) Despite growing impatience, ex-militants have
refrained from engaging in renewed attacks on Niger Delta oil
facilities. Some concerns exist, however, that the GON may
not start serious rehabilitation efforts before ex-militants
become more impatient for such help. While the GON appears
more interested in receiving funding, without conditions
attached, than technical assistance, Defense Minister Abbe
has reached out to UNDP recently to refine the GON
post-amnesty plan of action. President Yar'Adua's prolonged
absence from the country, in-fighting among Amnesty Committee
members, and lack of federal-state coordination have hampered
implementation of Niger Delta post-amnesty efforts. MEND, or
at least a person claiming to be a spokesperson for this
fractured militant group, attempted to exploit frustrations
by claiming falsely to the media to have launched a major
attack against an oil pipeline. This claim continues a trend
Qattack against an oil pipeline. This claim continues a trend
of false statements by MEND.
SANDERS