Shadowy Nigerian militant group holds an oil-rich nation hostage

NIGER DELTA, Nigeria – They have, by all appearances, just a handful of boats, some machine guns and grenade launchers and, perhaps equally important, an e-mail address.

But with just those tools the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has managed to shut down nearly a fifth of this nation’s vast oil production, briefly push global crude oil prices up more than $1.50 a barrel and throw Nigeria’s government into crisis over the group’s demand that the oil-rich but squalid region be given a greater share of the wealth it creates.

“They have marginalized us for many years now,” shouted a machine-gun- wielding member of the militant group, his face covered in black cloth. “We are taking the bull by the horns now. Niger Delta is ready.”

For the last two months the shadowy militant group has mounted attacks on oil facilities here and taken more than a dozen foreign oil workers hostage, including some Americans, wreaking havoc on the industry that is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. All of the hostages taken last month were released after 19 days, but new ones were seized Feb 18.

International Herald Tribune