Mend accuses Nigerian army

2009-11-17 20:28

Lagos - Nigeria's main armed group on Tuesday accused the military of staging a dawn raid on a village in the restive oil-producing region saying it could threaten the ongoing peace talks.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said the 06:00 (05:00 GMT) raid "extensively destroyed" the residence of its former commander Christian don Pedro.

"In the midst of negotiations towards a comprehensive resolution of the unrest in the Niger Delta, the Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF) today, ... invaded the Kula community...ostensibly to search for hidden weapons," the group said in a statement.

No arms were found, it said, describing the attack as "an act of bad faith and a breach of the trust these ex-fighters placed in the Nigerian government with their voluntary surrender".

Thousands of rebels who fought a two year "oil war" recently laid down arms in response to a government amnesty.

President Umaru Yar'Adua at the weekend held "frank" talks with Mend leader Henry Okah aimed at ending the conflict in the oil-rich Niger Delta, government officials said.

Retaliatory actions

The army authorities were not immediately available for comment. The Mend said it would take "appropriate retaliatory actions the next time any community within the Niger Delta is attacked by the Nigerian military".

The delta has for more than three years been a haven for armed militants claiming to be fighting for a greater share of oil wealth for their communities.

At the peak of the unrest Nigeria, the world's eighth largest exporter of crude, saw its output slashed by a third.

Following the amnesty deal which ended last month, Nigeria's oil output has risen to around 1.9 million barrels per day, according to the International Energy Association.

- SAPA