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Nigeria rebels announce 'truce' Nigerian rebels declare ceasefire
(about 5 hours later)
The main rebel group in Nigeria's Niger Delta is to observe a 60-day ceasefire in its attacks on the oil industry. The main rebel group in Nigeria's Niger Delta has declared a 60-day ceasefire in its attacks on the oil industry.
Mend - the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta - said the move was in response to the freeing of rebel leader Henry Okah on Monday. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said it was responding to the freeing of rebel leader Henry Okah on Monday.
Mr Okah was released from jail as part of a government amnesty. He had been held for more than a year on charges including treason. Mr Okah was released under an amnesty after spending more than a year in prison on charges including treason.
In a BBC interview he said he was proud of those who fought for his freedom. A government official welcomed the ceasefire, saying the government was ready for dialogue.
The Mend ceasefire is set to come into effect from Wednesday, a statement said. Speaking after his release, Mr Okah told the BBC that peace could be reached only through talks with the government.
The group wants the Nigerian military to pull out of certain areas of the Niger Delta and allow displaced people to return to their homes. Mend has been fighting to drive the Nigerian military out of certain areas of the Niger Delta and allow displaced people to return to their homes.
They have always said that they are fighting the Nigerian government and the oil industry for a fairer share of oil wealth for local people, but their campaign has been tainted by violent kidnappings of civilians and the theft of oil. But its campaign has been tainted by violent kidnappings of civilians and the theft of oil.
Asked whether the ceasefire covered kidnappings, Mend replied that it was intended to benefit oil workers and the oil industry. The Mend ceasefire was set to come into effect from Wednesday. But it had only just been declared when the group warned it was in jeopardy.
In a statement to the BBC, Mend said there must be no repairs to oil pipelines and buildings they have already blown up. According to a statement emailed to news agencies, Mend said it had information that the government was sending gun boats towards one of its camps.
They warned that the ceasefire would not cover them from being destroyed again. 'Ready for dialogue'
Mend added that they would monitor their own ceasefire, but would not enforce it for other militant groups. Asked whether the ceasefire covered kidnappings, Mend said it was intended to benefit oil workers - some of the main victims of kidnappings - and the oil industry.
It told the BBC that there must be no repairs to oil pipelines and buildings it had already blown up and warned the ceasefire would not cover them from being destroyed again.
Mend added that it would monitor its own ceasefire but would not enforce it for other militant groups.
There are hundreds of criminal gangs in the Niger Delta and it is unlikely that all of them will observe Mend's ceasefire, says the BBC's Caroline Duffield in Abuja.There are hundreds of criminal gangs in the Niger Delta and it is unlikely that all of them will observe Mend's ceasefire, says the BBC's Caroline Duffield in Abuja.
On Sunday, just hours before Henry Okah was freed, militants in speedboats attacked the main oil depot serving Lagos - well away from the usual area of operations in the Niger Delta. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, spokeswoman for President Umaru Yar'Adua's amnesty commission, said she welcomed the truce.
"The ceasefire was as a result of our contact with them," she told AFP news agency.
"We have made it clear to them that the president is honest and can be trusted and that the government is ready to dialogue with anybody on the need for peace and development."
'Gun boats'
The later Mend statement said it was alarmed at reports of a military force approaching one of its camps.
"Barely 12 hours into our ceasefire, the military Joint Task Force [JTF] has dispatched seven gun boats with heavily armed troops from Warri and are headed towards one of our camps located around the Delta/Ondo state border," the statement said.
"If this information from a very reliable source within the JTF happens to be true, the ceasefire will be called off with immediate effect."
On Sunday, just hours before Mr Okah was freed, militants in speedboats attacked the main oil depot serving Lagos - well away from the usual area of operations in the Niger Delta.
Mr Okah said he regarded the attack on the Atlas Cove jetty depot as a gesture, welcoming him to freedom.Mr Okah said he regarded the attack on the Atlas Cove jetty depot as a gesture, welcoming him to freedom.
Asked what he thought of a "welcome" like that, he replied: "Considering what the government tried to do to me, I'm proud of them, of our fighters. He said that only a government offer of talks with the rebels would help bring about an end to the violent confrontation.
"These were free, young men who sacrificed their lives for my freedom."
He justified the deaths by saying: "That's war."
'Real issues'
Mr Okah said the region needed some form of peace process, but that only a government offer of talks with the rebels would help bring about an end to the violent confrontation.
"To stop the violence, first they need to start talking to us. Violence for us is just a means to an end.
"We are prepared to dialogue with government, and prepared to arrive at an amicable, mutually acceptable resolution of the problem."
People there were fighting so that the government would recognise the poverty and injustice that exists, he said.
Asked if he would favour a partial decommissioning of weapons, he said: "Yes, yes, I would. But the government must start attending to our problems."
Numerous attacks by Mend on installations in the Niger Delta in recent years have seriously disrupted the Nigerian oil and gas industry.Numerous attacks by Mend on installations in the Niger Delta in recent years have seriously disrupted the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
Mend says it is fighting for a fairer distribution of the wealth from Nigeria's natural resources, but in the past the government has dismissed the militants as criminals. The government offered militants an amnesty three weeks ago, promising a rehabilitation programme, including education and training opportunities.
In a bid to end the attacks, the government offered militants an amnesty three weeks ago.
Officials said any rebel willing to give up weapons by October would benefit from a rehabilitation programme, including education and training opportunities.
The government's critics say the amnesty is unlikely to work because the unrest is not a straightforward political struggle.The government's critics say the amnesty is unlikely to work because the unrest is not a straightforward political struggle.
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