Niger Delta militant group demands foreign mediators for talks with gov't

A Nigerian militant group based in the Niger Delta has called for foreign mediators to foster talks with the government in order to end conflict in the oil rich region.

Known as the Niger Delta Avengers, the group has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on oil and power installations in the region.

They claim their mandate is to liberate the Niger Delta people for a greater share of oil wealth and pollution.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) said in a statement that they want multinational oil companies operating in the country to have independent mediators. This is after they rejected a proposal for dialogue with the government and other militants over their demands.

“We believe that it is only such environment that will engender genuine dialogue that will be aimed at setting up a framework for achieving the short, medium and long term demands of the Niger Delta to de-escalating this conflict and bring about a lasting peace,” NDA said in a statement.

Attacks by the group have sent the country’s crude output to its lowest level in decades. Africa’s largest economy’s oil production has fallen from 2.2 million barrels per day to about 1.4 million.

The country’s oil industry accounts for about 70 per cent of government revenue.

“We are going to redirect and reactivate all our activities if the government, oil companies and their services firms don’t heed to these modest warnings of not carrying out any repairs works and suspend the buying of crude oil from our region as we await the right atmosphere that will engender genuine dialogue,” the militant group added.

On Sunday, a former militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta called on the Niger Delta Avengers to join them in talks with the government.