Nigeria oil peace deal 'a stunt'

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A key faction of Nigeria's main militant group has said it is not involved in a peace ceremony aimed at ending attacks on the oil sector.

A Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) spokesman said the event was simply a publicity stunt to impress the international community.

The group said peace could only be achieved if one of its leaders was released from prison in Angola.

Niger Delta's state governments are under pressure to stabilise the region.

The governor of Bayelsa State is hosting the three-day ceremony, which is supposed to culminate in a peace deal between the state government and various armed groups operating within its boundaries.

'Rent-a-militant'

In a caustic e-mail, the spokesman for one of the main militant factions described the peace ceremony as a "stage-managed play which would make a bad B-grade movie."

He said those groups involved were simply being paid to take part and he accused the government of using a "rent a militant" tactic to impress the international community.

The Bayelsa State government though is adamant it has got many of the armed groups in its territory on board.

It is trying to emulate neighbouring Delta state, which agreed a truce with the militants based within its boundaries.

The state governments in the Delta are under immense pressure to show progress in the peace process.

The idea is a truce could pave the way for oil companies to restart operations which had been shut by militant attacks, thus restoring huge chunks of oil revenue to both the oil-producing states and the national government.

But despite the fanfare, there is a lot of scepticism.

Traditionally, ceasefires in the Delta have been secured through the promises of cash, contracts and employment.

They have turned out to be short-lived as the parties soon fell out over the terms of the deals.

More importantly, the basic problems of the Delta, the proliferation of weapons, youth unemployment and poverty will take years of good governance to address.

Human rights groups say good governance in the Delta has long been in short supply.