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Nigerian president convenes meeting on Niger Delta crisis
AFP
ABUJA
Petroleumworld.com 03 29 06Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo will meet leaders and opinion formers from the oil-rich Niger Delta next week to find a way out of its latest violent crisis, his office said Tuesday.
"The president has invited all stakeholders including traditional rulers, elected officials, community leaders, youth leaders and other relevant leaders and stakeholders within the community," his spokeswoman said in a statement.
Since the start of the year separatist guerrillas who claim to represent the interests of the 14-million-strong Ijaw ethnic group have stepped up their attacks on the Niger Delta's oil industry, Africa's biggest.
Militants have killed at least 24 members of the security forces, kidnapped and released 13 western hostages and blown up several pipelines, forcing firms to cut Nigeria's 2.5 million barrel per day exports by more than a quarter.
Spokewoman Remi Oyo said the meeting would discuss engagement with the "relevant groups in the region, dialogue, confidence building, employment creation and the re-building of wholesome community spirit."
Nigeria has earned more than 300 billion dollars from oil exports over the past four decades but the country, and in particular the delta, remains largely underdeveloped and three-quarters of the population live in abject poverty.
AFP 28 03 06 1128 GMTCopyright © 1994-2006 Agence France-Presse. All Rights Reserved.
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