Free Preview of Members-Only Content
To view the requested intelligence, you must be a Stratfor.com member.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for an attack June 19 targeting the Shell-operated Bonga oil field, which halted 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) in oil output. No damage was reported to the Bonga platform, which lies some 60 miles off the Nigerian coast, and production probably will start again shortly. The estimated two dozen militants responsible for the attack escaped on speedboats before security reinforcements arrived.
The attack by the militant group came as the Nigerian government prepares to convene a summit in July focused on the Niger Delta, and is a warning to the government not to disrupt the lucrative deal Ijaw political supporters of MEND extracted from the government via force.
Promised by Nigerian President Umaru Yaradua since his campaign in April 2007, the summit will bring together major stakeholders in the oil-rich region in an effort to address grievances, rein in militancy and lay the groundwork for greater oil production. Participants will include representatives from Nigeria’s federal, state and local governments; from international oil companies; and from communities and organizations in the Niger Delta.
| Stratfor Members, please log in at the top left hand corner |
