MEND Declares 60-day Ceasefire
Movement for the Emancipation of the NIger-Delta (MEND) declared a temporary ceasefire for a 60-day period beginning from 00.000 hours on Wednesday, July 15, following the release of Henry Okah.
Its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo in an online statement announcing the ceasefire said, “Effective, 0000 Hrs, Wednesday, July 15, 2009, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will be observing a temporary ceasefire for a 60 day period”.
“Several factors necessitated our decision; chiefly the release of Mr. Henry Okah from government custody.
“During this period, the Aaron team of wise men and women will be put together after consultations with relevant stakeholders. They will speak on our behalf and convey our demands to government.
“A compulsory prelude to talks is the withdrawal of the military Joint Task Forces from the Gbaramatu communities and the return of all the displaced persons back to their various homes.
“Hopefully, the ceasefire period will create an enabling environment for progressive dialogue”, he stated.
Meanwhile, MEND yesterday said it would observe what it termed a temporary ceasefire for two months.
The statement released online on Tuesday night and signed by Jomo Gbomo reads ,”effective, 0000 Hrs, Wednesday, July 15, 2009, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will be observing a temporary ceasefire for a 60 day period.
Several factors necessitated our decision; chiefly the release of Mr. Henry Okah from government custody.
During this period, the Aaron team of wise men and women will be put together after consultations with relevant stakeholders. They will speak on our behalf and convey our demands to government.
A compulsory prelude to talks is the withdrawal of the military Joint Task Forces from the Gbaramatu communities and the return of all the displaced persons back to their various homes.”
It would be recalled that within the last three months the militant body had attacked several oil facilities in the region. Its most recent operation was in Lagos at where a naval personnel was killed with several others sustaining injuries