SITUATION REPORT: NDA DENIES CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT; NEW GROUP EMERGES IN IMO STATE
The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has denied reports that it has entered into a 30-day ceasefire with the government. The ceasefire announcement was made on 21 June by at least two government officials.
Elsewhere, a new Niger Delta militant group, the Niger Delta Red Squad (NDRS), has reportedly emerged in Imo state. The group has claimed recent attacks against pipelines managed by Elf Oil Company in the Awarra area of the state and has threatened further attacks, including against Shell pipelines in the Oguta area. It has also warned oil companies to evacuate all their workers.
Analysis
The NDA is a non-state armed group which has been implicated in or claimed numerous attacks against oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta in 2016. The most recent associated attack was reported on 16 June in the Oruk Anam area in Akwa Ibom state. The NDA is demanding a greater share of the oil income generated by the government in the Niger Delta and has threatened to continue agitating until these demands are met. NDA activity has been most pronounced in Bayelsa and Delta states, where it’s largely non-fatal sabotage operations have been reported.
