ThisDayOnline (Nigeria): Shell Gets 7 Days to Withdraw from Ogoni: “Shell had suspended operations in Ogoni land in the last 10 years owing to the agitation by MOSOP for better environmental management and provision of basic facilities. The agitation led to the trial on murder charges, conviction and execution of nine Ogoni activists including writer Ken Saro Wiwa in 1994.” (ShellNews.net)
From Donald Andoor in Port Harcourt
Posted 21 Oct 04
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), yesterday issued a seven day ultimatum to Shell Producing Development Company (SPDC) to withdraw the military and police personnel deployed to protect its facilities.
MOSOP in a resolution after a congress held in Bori and signed by its president, Mr. Ledum Mitee, criticised the redeployment of the military and police personnel ostensibly for the company to resume operations in Ogoniland.
"We are not at war and we therefore consider the deployment of military and paramilitary forces in Ogoni ostensibly to protect SPDC's facilities and facilitate the resumption of the company's operations in Ogoni without consultation with the Ogoni people as a hostile act and declaration of war," MOSOP stated in the resolution.
In the eight-point resolution Shell stated, "SPDC should within seven days... stop further acts of hostility such as attempts to resume operations under any guise without proper consultation with the Ogoni people and the deliberate manipulation of the leadership of Ogoni communities in order to cause divisions."
According to the statement, the congress had already mandated MOSOP to mobilize the people for a non-violent mass action should SPDC fail to withdraw and stop further acts of aggression and hostilities within the stipulated period.
The statement reaffirmed the commitment of Ogoni people to dialogue and non-violence in their strggle for justice adding, "We call on SPDC to set in motion without delay a genuine process of engagement that will lead to the resolution of the outstanding differences between the Ogoni and SPDC."
Shell had suspended operations in Ogoni land in the last 10 years owing to the agitation by MOSOP for better environmental management and provision of basic facilities. The agitation led to the trial on murder charges, conviction and execution of nine Ogoni activists including writer Ken Saro Wiwa in 1994.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/news/20041021news10.html