A delta of a minefield: oil resource conflict and the politics of amnesty in Nigeria

An intriguing factor in regard to the crisis in the Niger Delta lies in the fact that there seem to be as many small arms as there are militant groups. Although uncertainty surrounds the actual number of such groups that unleash terror in the region, as a result of a constant mutation in their ranks, what is certain is the negative effect of their collective terror on the Nigerian economy. These groups, individually and collectively, sustained attacks on oil installations that adversely affected oil production outputs, and Nigeria's earnings. Often erroneously popularised in the local and international media as one umbrella group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has never been a cohesive entity; in fact, it derives its essence from the shifting alliances of other groups and its legendary access to the world's media