Nigerian rebels with a deadly cause

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (“MEND”) is a militant indigenous people’s movement dedicated to armed struggle against what they regard as the explotation and oppression of the people of the Niger Delta and the degradation of the natural environment by foreign multinational corporations invovled in the extraction of oil in the Niger Delta and the Federal Governement of Nigeria. MEND has been linked to attacks on foreign-owneed petroleum companies in Nigeria as part of the Conflict in the Niger Delta.

A wave of attacks on oil installations and kidnapping of foreign oil workers has reduced ouptut by 25% and now it has expanded its theatre of operations by placing a car bomb in a miltary barracks in the regional capital, Port Harcourt. Shell has withdrawn 330 employees from the region, and shut down four pumping stations. Four Shell employees are currently being held hostage.
These rebels are responsible for causing most of the problems for the oil companies in Nigeria. They feel like they are serving a good cause that will benifit their country in the end. They are not just crazy guys who pick up guns and shoot away, they are trained militants. Kids are being trained to fire guns and rebel against their government before they even break puburty. Upon further research I read that it started off with friendly meetings, but as time passed and no beneficial changes were made the rebels resorted down to malicious forms of violence.

Methods to MEND attacks include:

• Swarm-based maneuver. The guerrillas are using speed boats in the Niger Delta's swamps to quickly attack targets in succession. Multiple, highly maneuverable units have kept the government and Shell's defensive systems off-balance defending the sprawling network.
  
• Radically improved firepower and combat training. This new capability has allowed the guerrillas to overpower a combination of Shell's western-trained private military guards and elite Nigerian units in several engagements. Note: one of Shell's private military operators was captured as a hostage.
  
• Effective use of system disruption. Targets have been accurately selected to completely shut down production and delay/halt repairs. This is a systematic operation. Additionally, the guerrillas are making effective use of Shell's hostages to coerce both the government and the company

More than half of the citizens living in the oil rich Niger Delta are still living below the poverty line, and the government continues to use oil revenues for annynomous causes. I do not know how guerrilla warfare will spark any sort of change in the government officials' hearts. Their rebellious actions are only decreasing oil production, resulting in less petroleum exports and revenue incomes for the country. What do you think? Do you feel there are alternatives ways the citizens of the Niger Delta could speak out against their governement?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_for_the_Emancipation_of_the_Niger_Delta

http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2006/01/nigerian_evolut.html