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Nigerian militant amnesty starts Nigerian militant amnesty starts
(about 3 hours later)
An amnesty for militants in Nigeria's troubled oil-producing region, the Niger Delta, has begun. An offer of an amnesty for militants in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region has come into effect.
The Nigerian government is offering the militants the chance to lay down their guns in exchange for re-training and a presidential pardon. During the next two months the government hopes about 10,000 armed men will surrender their weapons in return for a pardon and retraining.
But it is unclear whether any of the militant groups will take up the offer. It is not yet clear how many of the region's numerous armed groups will take part in the amnesty.
In recent months the violent struggle in the Niger Delta has worsened, but there have been steps to find a political solution to end it. They attack oil refineries and smash pipelines in what they say is a fight for a fair share of the delta's wealth.
Armed groups there portray themselves as champions of an exploited region and an impoverished people. In recent months the violent struggle in the delta has worsened, but the amnesty offer is being hailed by analysts as one of the most significant efforts so far to end the unrest.
They say that they fight for a fair share of Nigeria's oil wealth for local people. When we choose to disarm, it will be done freely, knowing that the reason for our uprising... has been achieved Mend statement class="" href="/2/hi/africa/7519302.stm">'Blood oil' dripping from Nigeria class="" href="/2/hi/africa/8153402.stm">Hopes for Delta peace
They blow up oil pipelines, attack the oil companies operating in the delta and also fight the Nigerian military. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, spokeswoman for the amnesty programme, said the militants had made their point.
Oil revenue is the major source of income for the entire country but the so-called oil war has cut Nigeria's oil output by around a quarter in recent years. "They have raised the issues of the Niger Delta sufficiently to national and international consciousness," she said.
Now the government is attempting to defuse the violence. "This amnesty, I believe, offers the militants the opportunity to engage in finding lasting solutions to the problems of the Niger Delta."
Nigeria's president clearly hopes that his amnesty combined with the release from jail of a senior militant, Henry Okah, and a heavy military presence in the delta will persuade the gunmen to give up their weapons. She said hundreds of militants had expressed interest in taking the clemency, including one commander who said he and 800 fighters were ready to accept the offer.
Oil bunkering 'Oil war'
The most visible group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), has meanwhile announced a temporary ceasefire. Officials said gunmen who accept amnesty would be given 65,000 naira ($433; £255) a month for food and living expenses during the rehabilitation programme, which runs from 6 August to 4 October.
It is all being seen as the most significant steps yet towards a political process to tackle the violence. But the main rebel group in the region, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), has not yet said it will take part in the amnesty.
But nothing in the Niger Delta is straightforward. "When we choose to disarm, it will be done freely, knowing that the reason for our uprising which is the emancipation of the Niger Delta from neglect and injustice has been achieved," the group said in statement e-mailed to the AFP news agency.
What is really at stake is vast amounts of money. The group, which called a temporary ceasefire last month after one of its leaders was freed from jail, is in talks with senior officials about the terms of any possible amnesty.
The militants take part in what is called oil bunkering - in reality, oil theft. Oil revenue is the major source of income for the entire country but the so-called oil war has cut Nigeria's oil output by about a quarter in recent years.
They tap into pipelines, siphon off oil and sell it. The militants tap into pipelines, siphon off oil and sell it on a huge scale. Some analysts estimate the illicit industry generates more than $50m a day.
The industry operates under cover of the conflict and is thought to make more than $50m (£29m) a day. The BBC's Caroline Duffield, in Nigeria, says some of the most powerful people in Nigeria directly profit from the militants' activities.
Some of the most powerful people in Nigeria directly profit from the militants' activities. With that kind of money involved, our correspondent says, it is hard to see why the militant gangs or their powerful patrons would want peace at all.
With that kind of money involved it is hard to see why the militant gangs or their powerful patrons would want peace at all.
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