Nigerian rebel group agrees to release two South African hostages
16/9/2008 18:17
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the most
prominent rebel group in Nigeria's oil-rich south, agreed yesterday to released
two South African hostages at the "earliest convenience".
According to a
statement received in Lagos late yesterday, MEND said that Mrs Azuka Okah, wife
of detained activist and MEND's former commander, Henry Okah, has sent a
passionate appeal for MEND's assistance towards the release of the two South
African hostages.
The statement said they were impressed by the South African
government's respect for the rule of law as Azuka Okah has received respect and
hospitality when she and her children are in South Africa.
"MEND will be
reciprocating the gesture by releasing the two hostages to the care of the South
African government representative at the earliest convenience after working out
the modalities including safety concerns since the creek is now a war zone,"
said the statement.
According to the statement, two South Africans were
kidnapped by pirates in Rivers state and was rescued by MEND.
The two South
Africans, along with two Britons and a Ukrainian, were abducted on September 10
when boarded on an oil supply vessel operating in waters within Nigeria's
volatile Niger Delta region.
MEND, who is in intensive fight with Nigerian
government forces, said Saturday that 27 hostages, including the five foreign
oil workers, have been trapped in fighting zone in Eleme-Tombia, a riverside
community in the Degema council area of Rivers State.
The battle, starting on
early Saturday, is still going on, leaving about 30 dead and several oil
facilities blown up.
Since the beginning of 2006, militant groups emerged in
Niger Delta region, fighting for more local control of natural resources,
especially oil, through way of kidnapping oil workers and attacks on oil
facilities.
More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped and a string of
attacks on oil pipelines, wells and terminals have been registered by now, which
have led to about 25 percent oil production drop compared with the country's
peak oil output of 2.6 million barrels per day.
Xinhua
|
