Nigerian amnesty plan for oil militants falls flat

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s latest plan to end militant attacks in the volatile Niger River delta that have cut oil production to a 20-year low appears to have collapsed.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed the plan during a visit to Nigeria earlier this month, in hopes of bringing some semblance of peace to a region that is a major U.S. source of foreign oil.

But the delta’s main militant group over the weekend dismissed the three-week-old plan as “a charade” and vowed to resume attacks after a ceasefire expires Sept. 15.

The plan, which offered amnesty to any militant who laid down his arms during a 60-day period, began with fanfare three weeks ago, but it now seems unlikely to achieve anything more than a brief respite from the violence.

Experts and activists say the plan doesn’t address any of the rebels’ key demands: jobs, economic development and a greater share of oil wealth for the delta, where millions live in extreme poverty while Western energy giants and Nigerian politicians pocket billions of dollars annually in oil revenues.

Miami Herald