Emma Amaize
23 June 2008
Lagos — MOVEMENT for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND), yesterday night, announced a ceasefire effective 12 midnight tomorrow, Tuesday, until further notice following appeal by Niger-Delta elders.
The group in an electronic email, entitled, "Unilateral Ceasefire:, signed by Jomo Gbomo said, "Effective 12 midnight on Tuesday, June 24, 2008, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will be observing a unilateral ceasefire in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria until further notice.
"We are respecting an appeal by the Niger Delta elders to give peace and dialogue another chance", the MEND said in the two-paragraph statement. Reacting to the ceasefire, last night, Ijaw nationalist leader, Chief Edwin Clark told Vanguard that he was happy that the freedom fighters had announced cessation of hostilities.
"I am very much pleased because I have been very worried about the happenings. I am happy that they have decided to cease fire. I have been canvassing quietly that they should stop because we need peace to move forward", he said. Chief Clark said that the elders were taking up the issue of Henry Okah release with the appropriate quarters, saying that he spoke with his lawyer, Femi Falana, few days ago, who briefed him (Clark) on the latest developments and his appeal at the Court of Appeal over the secret trial of Henry Okah.
He confirmed that Henry's wife, Mrs. Azuka Okah flew in from South Africa to meet with him recently and urged the Federal Government to simmer down on him,as he is part of the Niger-Delta struggle and his case should not be taking in isolation.
The Ijaw leader said the Federal Government should call the Joint Task Force on the Niger-Delta to order since, according to him, "the task force is working in a manner that negates the peace process in the Niger-Delta. "It is like the Federal Government is pushing the peace process to one direction and the JTF is pulling it to another direction".
He said that when the JTF attacked some Ijaw communities recently, he called the Commander of the task force who told him that they attacked the areas because some militants who attacked soldiers before then at Olero Creek seized some weapons from them.
Clark said he told the JTF boss that the attack was unprovoked as the boys had returned the weapons through the Delta Waterways Security Committee, adding that he took up the matter with the Minister of Defence because he believed the JTF was worsening the situation in the Niger-Delta. Contacted on the matter, the Commander of the JTF, Brigadier-General Nanven Rimtip denied that the JTF attacked Ijaw communities, saying that it was only militant camps that his men raided.
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