Nigerian defence
chiefs have confirmed that the country is indeed sending deploying
troops into strategic positions in the Niger Delta to prepare to use
force against militants if peace talks fail
Chief of defence staff, General Gabriel
Olonisakin, told reporters during a visit to the state governor that “We
have allowed the ongoing dialogue between the federal government and
the militants. Our troops are in position. My message to the militants
is to ensure they go to the negotiation table.”
Last week the government said it was talking to militants in a bid to end pipeline attacks in the oil rich region.
The attacks on oil and gas facilities in
the region in recent months has cut crude production by 700,000 barrels
a day, pushing Nigeria behind Angola to now make it Africa’s second
producer.
On the possibility of using force if
talks between the government and militants breakdown, Minister of
Defence Mansur Dan-Ali, said: “It cannot be ruled out.”
Crude sales make up about 70 percent of
government revenue and the attacks have deepened an economic crisis
brought on by low global oil prices. The militants say they want a
greater share of Nigeria’s oil wealth to go to the impoverished region.
Dan-Ali said local people would work
alongside troops as part of a grassroots community security force, along
the lines of an approach used to fight the Islamist group Boko Haram in
the northeast.
“We will fuse them into the new security infrastructure for the region.”
In June, government officials said a
one-month ceasefire had been reached. But Niger Delta Avengers, the
group that has claimed responsibility for the majority of attacks dating
back to January, said it had not agreed a truce.
Since then the group has said it would not take part in talks unless international mediators were involved.
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