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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000367 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
SIPDIS 
 
DOE FOR GPERSON,CHAYLOCK 
TREASURY FOR DFIELDS, AIERONIMO, RHALL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV EPET ENRG NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: IJAW LEADERS REPORTEDLY WORKING TO STEM 
VIOLENCE 
 
REF: A. LAGOS 366 
     ¶B. LAGOS 365 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified;  Handle Accordingly 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Chief Edwin Clark, former Minister of 
Information, and other Ijaw elders have been engaged in talks 
with leaders of militant groups to attempt to halt the "oil 
war" (Ref B, Septel), according to a report in the September 
17 Vanguard.  Although the militant leaders have agreed to 
call back their "boys", who were deployed to damage oil 
installations in Rivers State and other parts of the region, 
a major Shell pipeline in the Degema local government area 
(LGA) has already been blown up, and there had been an 
"attempt" on Chevron's Idama flow station in Rivers State, 
the report stated.  The article said Clark called on the 
Federal Government to restrain military forces in the area, 
and to declare "a truce" with the militants through the end 
of the year as a way to assure that the work of the Technical 
Committee and development of the Niger Delta could go 
forward.  Despite repeated efforts, post has been unable to 
reach Chief Clark or other Ijaw leaders to confirm the 
report.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The Vanguard newspaper reported on Wednesday, 
September 17 that former Minister of Information and Ijaw 
leader Edwin Clark "and other Ijaw elders" were engaged in 
"secret" talks with leaders of militant groups in the region 
to halt the "oil war" announced by Jomo Gbomo, spokesperson 
for the movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta 
(MEND), on September 13 (Ref A).  According to the Vanguard, 
the only newspaper that carried the story, the result of the 
talks was that some militant leaders had agreed to withdraw 
their "boys", who had already been deployed to damage oil 
installations in Rivers State and other parts of the region. 
According to the paper, before the news of the agreement 
could get to the field commanders, the militants had 
destroyed a major crude oil pipeline owned by Shell Petroleum 
Development Company (SPDC) at Bakana Front in the Degema 
Local Government Area (LGA) in Rivers State.  The paper also 
noted that there had been a "fresh" attempt to blow up the 
Chevron flow station at Idama, Rivers State.  The paper noted 
that "the elders were disturbed that soon after the 
inauguration of the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta 
and the announcement of the creation of the Ministry of the 
Niger Delta, the crisis in Rivers State had robbed the region 
of the peace required by government to proceed with plans for 
the region. 
 
¶3. (U) According to the press report, Chief Clark said "I 
have assured (sic) our boys to maintain peace and that I 
would be going to Abuja immediately to carry my message of 
peace to the Federal Government"  The article also said Clark 
would ask the Federal Government to declare a truce in the 
region until December 31, 2008 so as to allow the Federal 
Government to go forward with development of the region.  The 
paper quoted Clark:  "We need this for the Federal Government 
to show its sincerity and commitment to the development of 
the Niger Delta. I am happy to say that I have spoken to the 
boys to drop the idea of full-scale war in the Niger Delta 
and allow peace to reign and allow dialogue between the 
elders and the Federal Government.  I am confident they will 
call off their declaration of war." 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to the Vanguard, Chief Clark said that the 
Federal Government must be seen in the creeks as having 
control over the JTF.  "A situation in which they engage in 
activities inimical to the real intention of the Federal 
Government is unacceptable and the Federal Government should, 
therefore, give strict instruction to the Service Chiefs to 
control their soldiers." (Comment:  Nigerian media have 
carried reports that in the past few weeks the JTF has 
repeatedly overstepped its mandate and carried out attacks on 
militants that either also targeted civilians or were judged 
as excessively violent.  Post has not been able to verify the 
reports.  End Comment.)  The article also reported that Clark 
said the militants were unhappy with the secret trial of 
Henry Okah, and that he called the trial "incompatible with 
the search for peace in the Niger Delta." 
 
LAGOS 00000367  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
Ijaw Youth "Strategy Session" Ends 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The article also noted that Ijaw youth leaders met at 
Oporoza in Delta State for their 47th strategy session. 
According to the paper, the youths called on the Federal 
Government to withdraw the military, which they alleged had 
murdered 20 persons including women and children and had 
razed 14 Ijaw communities over "the last few days."  The 
youths also condemned the secret trial and incarceration of 
Henry Okah as "illegal and unacceptable to the Ijaw nation." 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  Despite continuous efforts beginning over 
the weekend, post has been unable to reach Chief Clark or 
other Ijaw interlocutors.  Inability to reach these Ijaw 
leaders has in the past been an indication that they are in 
the creeks, where cellphone connectivity may be limited.  End 
Comment. 
BLAIR