Nigerian president says amnesty has led to peace

[XXPANTHAXX]

Nigeria's president said an amnesty granted to militants over the past
two months in the oil-rich Niger Delta has restored peace to the region.

The government says more than 8,000 militants have disarmed and taken
the amnesty offer since it began in August.

President Umaru Yar'Adua said late Wednesday that "agitations" are over
and that development must take place in the region for peace to
continue. Yar'Adua said there is now greater stabilization in the
country's oil market.

"We are now in the process of implementing a post-amnesty program, and
everybody is now on board," he said.

Unrest in the Delta region had cut Nigeria's oil production by about a
million barrels a day, allowing Angola to overtake it as Africa's top
oil producer.

In August, the government offered militants amnesty if they agreed to
disarm hoping it would allow them to increase production.

"The general amnesty I extended to all militants in the Niger Delta has
led to the laying down of arms and a return of peace," Yar'Adua said.
"Our role in ensuring stability of the energy market has led to a
win-win situation for all participants in the market."

The Delta's main militant group said it would not participate in the
amnesty, but several top commanders and their men laid down their arms.
Government Tompolo, Farah Dagogo, and Ebikabowei Victor Ben are some of
the key militant leaders who surrendered with their fighters.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said that
commanders who disarmed have been replaced. The group also vowed to
resume attacks after a cease-fire expires this week.

MEND had been attacking oil installations, kidnapping petroleum company
employees and fighting government troops since January 2006 in what it
calls a protest against the unrelenting poverty of people in the Niger
Delta.

The militant group had declared a 60-day cease-fire on July 15, saying
the government had met one of its demands by releasing ailing rebel
leader Henry Okah. In mid-September the group extended its cease-fire by
one month, saying it hoped the truce would help facilitate talks with
the government.

The militants say they are fighting to force the federal government to
send more oil-industry funds to the southern region that remains poor
despite five decades of oil production. The government has acknowledged
the grievances of many in the Niger Delta, but denounces the militants
as criminals who steal crude oil from Nigeria's wells and pipelines and
profit by selling it overseas.