Oil, Resource Conflicts and the Post Conflict Transition in the Niger Delta Region: Beyond the Amnesty (original) (raw)

This policy research monograph is part of the ongoing research of the Centre for Population and Environmental Development (CPED) on the research theme titled "Conflict and Development in Nigeria's Niger Delta region" in the current strategic plan (2010-2014) of the Centre. The region has been immersed in agitation, protests and struggles against perceived injustice, inequality, disinheritance, marginalization and neglect. The protests have been so broad, intense and militant that in 1966 and between 1998 and 2009, the region slipped into periodic insurrection and insurgency. Unfortunately, the federal governments' law and order and therefore securitization of its approach and management of the struggles, largely militarized the region, turned it into a huge garrisoned command, and made it the scene of the most large-scale and prolonged military operation since the Nigerian civil war. Intense conflicts and confrontations between the Nigerian state and the transnational oil companies on the one hand and the communities, civil groups, militant movements and militias as well as conflicts between communities, ethnic groups, militias and cults have turned the region into a huge melting pot of pervasive unrests, violence, crimes, local wars and insecurity. The conflicts constituted an immense threat to the oil infrastructure, the economy, national stability and security survival, the nation project and human security. These conflicts and their devastating consequences persisted in spite of several commissions that were set up, efforts at pacification and development interventions until 2009. However, in 2009, the federal government quite unusually and contrary to its securitization of the conflict embarked on an amnesty programme. The programme entailed a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of former militants and some promises of a post amnesty programme for the resolution of the conflicts. The programme has raised considerable interests, has been held as a major effort at resolving the conflict and was presented as one of the most remarkable achievements of the late President, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. The amnesty proclamation is now almost a year old and can be critically interrogated in terms of its objectives, content, implementation, performance, problems and prospects particularly against the background of what it held out in relation to the resolution of the conflicts and peace building in the region. This study critically examines the amnesty, the DDR programme and the post conflict transition efforts thus far, in the light of lessons and insights drawn from the literature and experiences elsewhere. We are particularly grateful to the Think Tank Initiative for the Institutional support provided for CPED which has enabled the Centre to carry out the study that led to publication of this policy monograph. pg. 1 C P E D M o n o g r a p h S e r i e s N o 3 CHAPTER ONE Peace and Peace Building Though peace refers to a relative state of being, tranquility, wholeness and harmony, in conflict studies it denotes the absence of threats, fear, intimidation, brutality and harm. It further denotes the absence of pg. 6 C P E D M o n o g r a p h S e r i e s N o 3 Address issues of equity and justice between MNOCs & OPCs, between communities & groups.