Politics in the south south (Nigeria)
Oh, the skepticism of journalists and outsiders. The Nigerian army undertakes a mission to end violence of criminal gangs, and Alex Last, the BBC reporter, wonders about ulterior motives.Nigerian army hits oil city gangs
"The Nigerian army has launched an operation against a suspected criminal hideout close to the oil city of Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta...
"It is all part of a new policy to use the military to crush the region's powerful armed gangs.
"Ostensibly, the policy followed a turf war between two major gangs - known as 'cults' - fought out on the streets of Port Harcourt in August...
"But politicians and gangs here have had a long, close relationship.
"In the past, the gangs have been paid to keep things quiet or to help ensure victory in rigged elections.
"It seems that somewhere along the line, following April's general elections, this arrangement has broken down..."
Then, again, maybe it's not just foreign reporters who are suspicious. This report comes from the BBC.
Nigeria probes Delta gang links
"The Nigerian president has ordered an investigation into alleged links between government officials in the Niger Delta and violent criminal gangs.
"Rivers State officials - including the Deputy Governor - are accused of being secretly in control of the gangs...
"Leaders of the Delta's ethnic Ijaw residents met President Yar'Adua to spell out their complaints about the links between the gangs, or "cults", and named senior politicians...
"But civil rights activists say it is an open secret that politicians and gangs have had a long, close relationship, with politicians paying the criminals to rig elections and intimidate opponents.
They say if the government is serious about destroying the gangs, it will also have to go after their political sponsors - and that could prove an embarassment to the ruling party..."
Meanwhile, Vanguard (Lagos) reports that one of the best publicized "cults" has made new threats. However, the complete article makes it clear that the threats are problematic, since some spokesmen for political gangs in the Delta have promised a cease fire and deny their participation in MEND's plans.
FG, MEND in Fresh Face-Off
"PRESIDENT Umaru Yar'Adua has directed security agencies to stop the incessant cases of hostage taking in the country forthwith. However, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has made fresh threats over the reported arrest of a militant, "Jomo Gbomo", in far away Angola...
"It was gathered that those genuinely involved in the agitation for a better deal for the Niger Delta were not the ones involved in the criminal acts but some other people who were merely taking advantage of the struggle...
"[The MEND statement reads,] 'The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta wishes to serve as a warning to those behind this plot that a repeat of the Ken Saro Wiwa type set-up will fail this time around. For the sake of the on-going peace process, the Nigerian security agencies, the multinational oil and construction companies and their local and foreign collaborators should not take actions that will jeopardise the peace process and take us back to an era everyone is moving away from.
"'Commanders and fighters of MEND are watching the unfolding conspiracy closely. There will no doubt be very unpleasant and dire consequences if this matter is not handled with fairness.'
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:21 AM
1 Comments:
Could Yar'adua probe be a pay back towards the other South-South politicians who have tried to kill his Vice-President (and blew up his country house) ?
Post a Comment
<< Home