EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/347

(2004/C 88 E/0354)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1296/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(7 April 2003)

Subject: Clashes in southern Nigeria

There are reports that clashes between the army and rival gangs of ethnic militants have caused dozens of deaths in southern Nigeria, in the oil-rich Niger delta. Local inhabitants fleeing the fighting, which has been going on for several days, are talking of indiscriminate shooting by soldiers and rebels alike, and the wholesale burning of entire villages. Apparently, the clashes involved two local communities, Ijaw and Itsekiri, and have already brought thousands of soldiers into the region. Leaders of the Ijaw community were claiming that 50 militants were killed in fighting with navy and army forces during clashes in the locality of Okorenkoro, on Thursday. They are complaining that they were encircled by the troops on returning to their villages. International petroleum companies operating in the area made hundreds of local inhabitants leave the area at the end of the week, and the clashes have already led the three companies operating there, Chevron Texaco, Shell and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, to reduce their output. The Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has already issued a serious warning to the effect that the level of violence is beginning to threaten the successful holding of the elections scheduled for next month.

The Commission:

— what information does the Commission have about the situation? Are the elections at risk;

— what approaches have been made or are to be made to the Nigerian authorities?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(6 May 2003)

The Commission is following the security situation in Delta State in Southern Nigeria very closely. There were large-scale outbreaks of violence in February 2003 and March 2003 in and around Warri which left dozens dead and several villages destroyed in fighting first between Urhobos and Itsekiris, and then between Ijaws and Itsekiris. A large military contingent was deployed to the area in March 2003 amid reports of indiscriminate attacks by the security forces on Ijaw communities, in retaliation to the killing of four soldiers.

This violence seems in part triggered by local political interests in the run-up to the April 2003 elections, with disputes over the sharing of councillor posts between the principal ethnic groups, but also feeds on frustration at the lack of development in the area despite the enormous oil wealth. This has precipitated attacks on oil company installations and most recently the blowing up of two pipelines, leading the companies to shut down production and withdraw staff for safety reasons.

The situation remains volatile and tense. The Delta State Commissioner announced the deployment of 7 000 police to cover 3 500 polling booths for the elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission said that it required special security arrangements to conduct elections in the State of Delta.

The Union and a number of other organisations had election observer teams in the country. The Union team numbering 111 observers was deployed as planned and observed serious irregularities in the conduct of the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections in Delta State. Their observations are detailed in their Second Preliminary Statement issued on 22nd April 2003. The Commission Delegation, in co-ordination with the representatives of Member States monitored the security situation in the country in the run-up to the elections. They did not recommend an approach to the Nigerian Authorities specifically on the problems in Delta State.