‘Niger Delta Avengers’ Says Ready For Ceasefire And Dialogue

A militant group in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, the Niger Delta Avengers, which has claimed a wave of attacks on oil facilities in the south-south, said it was ready for a ceasefire and a dialogue with the government.

The restive southern swampland region has been rocked by violence against oil and gas pipelines since the start of the year, reducing the nation’s crude oil output by 700,000 barrels a day to 1.56 million barrels per day.

“We are going to continue the observation of our announced ceasefire of hostilities in the Niger Delta against … the multinational oil corporations,” the Niger Delta Avengers said in a statement received by Reuters on Sunday.

“We promise to fight more for the Niger Delta, if this opportunity fails,” it said.

The group has claimed several major attacks on oil installations, but they have been less active in recent weeks, which has led to speculation about a ceasefire, as the government has been trying for two months to reach out to the militants.

The group said it would support a dialogue “to engage with the Federal Government’s, representatives from the home countries of all multinational Oil Corporations and neutral international mediators”.