 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2020) |
| Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta | |
|---|---|
 A map of Nigeria with the states comprising the Niger Delta highlighted and numbered. | |
| Leaders | Henry Okah Asari-Dokubo Tompolo Ebikabowei Victor-Ben † John Togo Godswill Tamuno Ateke Tom Soboma George † Brutus Ebipadei Solomon Ndigbara Tubotamuno Angolia † |
| Dates of operation | 2004-present (Ceasefire declared on May 30, 2014) |
| Headquarters | Port Harcourt |
| Active regions | Niger Delta |
| Ideology | Regionalism |
| Size | 15,000-25,000 (2009) |
| Allies | Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force Niger Delta Liberation Front Joint Revolutionary Council |
| Opponents |  NigeriaNiger Delta Avengers Red Egbesu Water Lions Niger Delta Vigilante Royal Dutch Shell ExxonMobil Chevron |
| Battles and wars | Conflict in the Niger Delta Operation Hurricane Barbarossa October 2010 Abuja attacks |
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is a decentralised militant group in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.[1][2] MEND's actions – including sabotage, theft, property destruction, guerrilla warfare, and kidnapping – are part of the broader conflict in the Niger Delta and reduced Nigeria's oil production by 33% between 2006-07.[2]
The then President Umaru Musa Yaradua administration created an amnesty program to liase with the group to drop their alms and ammunition in 2009 and embrace government intervention in the Nigeri Delta region.[3][4]
This amnesty was welcomed by the group as some of its top leaders, including Henry Okah and Ebikabowei Victor Ben accepted the governments offer.[5][6]
- ^ "Militant Group Poses Threat to Nigerian Oil Industry". PBS NewsHour. 10 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ a b Hanson, Stephanie (2007-03-22). "MEND: The Niger Delta's Umbrella Militant Group". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ Rice, Xan (2009-08-06). "Nigeria begins amnesty for Niger Delta militants". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, The". rpl.hds.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Top Rebel Takes Nigeria's Amnesty Offer". Voice of America. 2009-11-02. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
- ^ "Niger Delta: Yar'Adua's amnesty deal - Palliative or cure? - Nigeria | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2024-02-26.