Winning the War, Losing the Peace: Amnesty and the Challenges of Post-Conflict Peace-Building in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

The amnesty granted to the Niger Delta militants by the Nigerian state has stopped active and sustained physical combat in the oil-rich but volatile region. Yet, peace remains elusive in the area. This article, which relies essentially on secondary sources of data, examines this ‘no war, no peace’ situation by mapping the challenges confronting the amnesty programme and its corollary disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes. It is argued that, until the incentives for violence are identified and checked, the age-long grievances of the region against environmental insecurity, underdevelopment, and distributional injustice in oil rents addressed, perpetrators of human rights violations – including extra-judicial murders – brought to book, and victims of human rights abuses and the protracted conflict compensated, the current peace of the graveyard in the region is likely to subsist.

Ecological effects and perceptions of victims of pipeline explosion in a developing country

“…We think that improvement in communication between the local communities that are close to locations of critical infrastructure, as well as improvement in transportation, communication, insurance and medical infrastructure is necessary to ensure efficient protection of the critical infrastructure and reduce the occurrence of such disasters in a long-term plan. While we agree that the present amnesty programmes of the Federal government of Nigeria, which includes payments to the former militants to guide the petroleum pipeline against potential saboteurs (Aghedo 2012;Osumah 2013), we do not think that it will record a long-term success for two reasons. Firstly, the practice of payment former militants to provide protection to a critical infrastructure can provide instruments of social climbing or a means to accumulate wealth and power as explained in concept of the QL in organised crimes (Layman and Potter 2007).…”

From militancy to terrorism: Need for a fresh perspective to Nigeria’s national security

“…The grievances of the region against environmental insecurity, underdevelopment and distributive justice in the oil rents are not yet addressed (Aghedo, 2013). Thus Ikelegbe (2010) states that the Government was not ready for broad and meaningful dialogue on the issues at the root of the crisis and pretending to be talking peace, but was act ually arming and equipping the military through hardware purchases for a military onslaught.…”

Indigenous Opinions for Achieving Justice and Enduring Peace in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.

“…The conflict became highly volatile and militarized with emergence of several militant groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta People (MEND), the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPF) and many others. These groups from the Niger Delta most especially in the region largest ethnic group the Ijaw, initiated "Operation Climate Change" which led violent conflicts between them and the Nigerian armed forces that eventually metamorphosed into militias (Aghedo, 2013;Atumah, 2015). The situation became deplorable and devastated as the militants force changed the socio-economic and political tone with devastating effect not only to the region but to the nation at large, and beyond as it negatively affected oil production and the economy (Ering, Bassey&Odike, 2013;Okonta, 2013).…”