| Niger Delta Terrorism and Militant Group Financing. |
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| Written by Cecil Ibegbu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 23 December 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Introduction In my last article, “Nigeria International Relations Culture and Corruption” I made a mention that my next piece will be a study of the financing of the terrorist activities, insurgent issues, and as the case may be, political activist as it relates to Niger Delta area as one may perceive it. I thought it will make more sense for one to do an in-depth analysis of groups such as [MEND’s] motivation on its fights especially when one puts into consideration;(1) Nigerian fraudulent elections and how that impacts Niger Delta Militant group financing; (2) Whether there was a derailed agenda of the Deltas’ that in effect later took a life of its own to the detriment of the actual cause of Niger Delta; (3) A determination of the role if any that politicians play in arming, encouraging, training, providing financing for these group so that in return, they will have protection, the ability to intimidate political opponents, and in essence use them to further their gains and wishes in rigging the elections, and finally; (4) Whether there were broader scheme[s] by the politicians to encourage illegal oil bunkering that in effect facilitates the financing of such illegalities with a hope that it preserves power for the responsible politician, and if that were the case, what other illegalities were condoned, effected, and encouraged as a result of compromised corruption that impacts Nigeria’s security interest be it in Niger Delta area et al.
Terrorism Defined As I have done in the past, in an article that I published titled, “Instability and Terrorism in Nigeria”, I made an effort to define terrorism and what it meant to different people and depending on the recipient and the perpetrators intent. I will further make an effort to expound on that in order to give more flesh to the Niger Delta issue, for proper understanding of the issues involved.Terrorism is notoriously difficult to define, in part because the term has evolved and in part because it is associated with an activity as designed to be subjective. Generally speaking, the target of a terrorist episode are not the victims who are killed or maimed in the attack, but rather, the governments, publics, constituents, and in the case of Niger Delta, an added rational that is premised on corruption and the quest for self preservation for power – the intimidation factor on political opponents and the use of kidnapping in order to raise funds for other illegal activities. Although individuals can disagree over whether particular actions constitute terrorism, there are certain aspects of the concept that are fundamental. First, terrorism always has a political nature. It involves the commission of outrageous acts designed to precipitate political change. Second, terrorism is distinguished because of its non state character and thus, for the minimum, terrorism has the following characteristics: a fundamental political nature, the surprise use of violence against seemingly random targets, and the targeting of the innocent by non state actors. According to an article titled “the causes of Terrorism” by Martha Crenshaw, she posited that, “if we focus on terrorism directed against governments for the purpose of political change, we are considering the premeditated use or threat of symbolic, low level violence by conspiratorial organizations. Terrorist violence communicates a political message; its’ ends goes beyond damaging an enemy’s material resources. The victims or objects of the terrorist attack have little intrinsic value to the terrorist group but represent a larger human audience whose reaction the terrorist seek” Conditions that are Direct Cause of Terrorism The first condition that can be considered a direct cause of terrorism is the existence of concrete grievance among an identifiable subgroup of a larger population, such as an ethnic minority discriminated against by the majority. In this case, are actions of Nigerian government leaders that were dominated by the majority Northern leadership such that it neglected the needs and aspirations of the Delta area? Was the purported actions due to lack of political will; incompetence; or was it as a result of corruption effects? Was it also in any case a result of corruption, such that the neglect was perpetrated by the Delta leadership that saw self before the State? The second condition that creates motivations for terrorism is lack of opportunity for political participation. It is obvious in International Community that Regimes that deny access to power and persecute dissenters create dissatisfaction. In this case, grievances are primarily political, without social or economic overtones. In the case of Niger Delta, we could all agree that there is an existence of a lack of opportunity for political participation until recent changes adopted by the current government, but the question still remain, as to whether the native Delta participants in the rulership of their government activities will in turn positively impact their masses or will it be a negative effect that is a down turn of corruption. Other conditions that I will not discuss in this paper will include the religious overtone – Muslim fundamentalist, Class warfare and Cultural divisions that encourages terrorism. Ted Robert Gurr in his paper, opined that, “modern states are less violent than developing countries and that legitimacy of the regime inhibits violence”, his views may be by all indications a correct assement, but the fact remains that as long as Niger Delta and Nigeria in general are far removed from their democratic duties, and fundamental human rights in effecting the elections of leaders of their choice, then terrorism becomes an accepted norm to those without a voice and without representation.
Terrorism Financing in
As is evident in other African countries such as Angola, Liberia, Senegal, Zaire and other war ravaged areas where war and terror attacks had triumphed within the continent, one of the commonality of purpose was that the wars were financed by a global trade in raw materials such as, “dirty diamond”, in exchange for arms, and in the case of Sese Seko in the former Zaire – it is the social internationalization of corruption as a way of life. As with other organizations, money is the lifeblood of terrorism and nothing different in the Niger Delta groups. In the case of MEND, they have adopted in the past multiple sources of financing that includes criminal activities such as, [high profile kidnapping of expatriate foreigners, illegal bunkering, smuggling, forgery, counterfeiting, drug trafficking etc], political donations, and also legitimate business activities. On the donation front, we have seen subtle actions by responsible government officials that use such group’s existence in order to remain in power, and maintain a power hold. Moving the money is second critical funding issue for groups such as MEND. Money coming from criminal activities requires some form of money laundering. Conversely, terrorist groups such as the MEND group may use what may be termed as reverse money laundering: that is taking clean money and doing dirty things with it, with an emphasis on a need to cancel the money trial at all cost.
Conclusion It is very obvious that Nigerian authorities are in effect unwilling participants in the promotion of groups such as MEND on the federal level because if not, there should have been positive direct actions that should have been adopted by the Federal Government to include the ethnic group from that area. Those positive actions may have included emphasis on environmental protection laws that are geared at keeping the oil industry in check; an honest effort in the environmental area of the oil industry by the Federal Government; an adequate recognition of the right and inclusion of the Deltas’ in the governance affairs of both at the local level and Federal level; an emphasis from the Federal level on security issues such as stopping the illegal bunkering with an understanding that such practices are detrimental to the security interest of the Nation State. Also
“(c) Deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support or commit terrorist acts or provide safe heavens”; “(e) Ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in supporting terrorist acts is brought to justice and ensure that, in addition to any other measures against them, such terrorist acts are established as serious criminal offences in domestic laws and regulations and that the punishment duly reflects the seriousness of such terrorist acts.” Or in a previous resolution 1368, which states that, “any act of international terrorism is a treat to international peace and security.”All of these UN resolutions, including some other instruments that were enacted to address terrorist financing and terrorism in general are what the Nigerian Government needs to embrace and oblige itself in order to effectively fight this war on terror. In the case of the State governments in the affected states: emphasis should be made on the deterrent initiative that discourages the use of such groups for political thurgery and intimidation. It is obvious that there are direct coalition between the armed groups for political gains and the left over, carry over effects of such armed groups once the politic is over. It is usually means a militant group that then becomes criminal, independent and without control that operates outside the initial set mandate of politicians that initial adopted such groups’ stance. In this instance, the Federal Government should see this also as a national security issue and implement a much severe penal code that will address these issues with emphasis on [deterrent initiatives, punishment, restitution, and societal protection], that way; it will deter further abuses and safe guard Nigerian image, its financial interest, peace and security in the region and help avoid a possible spill over effects of such uncontrolled mudus operandi.
Cecil Ibegbu
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Posted by Robot| 23.12.2007 17:11