Mend 'attacks Delta links'

By Upstream staff 

Nigerian rebel group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) has claimed that it attacked two major pipelines today in what it called a message to the US to stop supporting "injustice" in the troubled region.

In an email sent to Reuters, a Mend faction said its commandos had carried out attacks on pipelines in Isaka River and Abonnema River in Rivers State.

It gave no more details of the raids, which followed an attack last week - also claimed by Mend - on a Shell-operated pipeline in Rivers State.

Mend said the pipelines targeted today could belong to Shell and Chevron, but there was no immediate confirmation of this from the companies mentioned, or from any independent sources.

Addressing US President George W. Bush, the rebel group said the attacks were "our way of saying 'welcome'" to a US warship, the high-speed vessel Swift, which has been visiting the Gulf of Guinea to conduct training with the Nigerian navy.

"Mr President, your warships do not intimidate us. Instead they only embolden our resolve in fighting the Goliaths of the world that support injustice," the Mend statement said.

"The ripple effect of this attack will touch your economy and people one way or the other and (we) hope we now have your attention," Mend said.

It complained that Bush had not responded to past requests from it to mediate talks with the Nigerian government.

21 April 2008 12:57 GMT  | last updated: 21 April 2008 12:57 GMT