MESSAGE IN SOLIDARITY WITH COMMUNITIES IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION, NIGERIA SUBMITTED AT A PUBLIC FORUM ORGANISED BY ERA IN COLLABORATION WITH TWN-AFRICA AT OLOIBIRI SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2006

We, communities affected by mining, oil and gas, citizens’
organisations, NGOs, and academics from Cameroon, Congo Republic,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria,
Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe
participating in a Pan-African seminar on communities affected by
mining organised by Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Af) in
collaboration with Oilwatch Africa Network/Environmental Rights
Action, Community Defence Law Foundation and Gulf of Guinea Citizens
Network from September 4-6th 2006, Port Harcourt, Nigeria;

Having thoroughly discussed the impacts and implications of the
renewed mining, oil and gas boom on communities affected by these
activities in Africa, and the consequent developmental challenges of
mineral and petroleum endowed African countries;

Aware of the vast oil potentials of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria
and the opportunities such potentials present for transforming the
social and economic conditions of the people into building their
productive capacity and improving quality of lives;

Noting the long experience of oil and gas exploitation in Nigeria, and
in the specific case of Oloibiri dating back to a period of 50 years;

Having witnessed the visible and huge destructions caused by the
activities of transnational oil and gas companies to the environment
and livelihood sources of people living in communities located in
areas of oil/gas extraction projects;

Agitated by the lack of social and economic infrastructures as well as
the apparent high level of poverty measured against the huge revenues
accruing to the Federal and State Governments, and oil and gas
companies over the past decades;

Concerned about the high level of unemployment, repeated cases of
State and corporate repression against communities in the Niger Delta,
constant gas flaring and general environmental pollution;

Mindful of the fact that these problems are not peculiar to the Niger
Delta in Nigeria alone but also manifest in several communities living
in areas of extractive activities in particular mining, oil, gas,
fisheries and timber across the continent of Africa;

Disturbed about the relationship in which governments, national
elites, transnational companies and their home governments together
with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) like IMF and World
Bank line up in opposition to the legitimate concerns and interest of
citizens and people directly affected by extractive activities;

Confident that community self-determination and the popular will of
the people shall prevail over the ruthless exploitative tendencies of
governments and their conspirators;

Do express our unflinching solidarity with the people, communities and
legitimate struggles in the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general;

We do also call on:
Governments to:
Restore the dignity and respect of people in the oil rich Niger Delta,
and all communities affected by mining/oil activities across the
continent by ensuring community access to benefits of mining/oil and
gas as well as their resources in particular land, fresh water, clean
and diversified environment, and cultural heritage.

Put the rights of communities and people as a whole first before the
interests of transnational mining/oil companies.

Cease forthwith any further repression of communities that express
dissenting views and engage in legitimate struggles.

Re-think and revision national mining and oil laws to; provide for the
rights of communities and mechanisms for maximising the net benefits
of oil and mineral wealth to communities and national economies.

Allow the evolution of processes that legitimise communities and
traditional systems in decision-making regarding resource extraction,
ownership, control and use.

Ensure environmental protection standards with clear powers of
enforcement and adequate institutional delivery capacity for effective
compliance enforcement and pollution abatement throughout the life
cycle of extractive projects.

Through national legislative institutions include corporate criminal
liability in domestic legal systems. Through this system, it would be
possible to impose stringent enforcement orders on transnational
mining/oil companies.

Oil/Mining Companies to:

Respect the rights, culture, values, interest and concerns of people
living in communities they operate

Obey the national laws and comply with internationally recognised
human rights norms and standards

Cease forthwith any further repression against communities and
advocacy groups

Home governments of Transnational Mining Companies to:

Regulate the operations of Transnational Oil and Mining companies in
Africa according to international human rights norms and standards.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to:

Pressure all actors in the mining, oil and gas sectors in particular
the Governments and companies to ensure that the processes of resource
extraction is translated into building the productive capacities of
national economies in manners that guarantee human and peoples rights
and environmental sustainability.

Work together in solidarity with communities and people affected by
mining and oil activities to promote community interest, environmental
sustainability and national economic development.

Endorsed by:

Jose Nguema Oyana
Equatorial Guinea

Agnes Ebo’o
Cameroon
Citizens Governance Initiative/Gulf of Guinea Citizens Network

Dieudonne Serge Mounthou
Republic of Congo
Commission Diocesaine Justice et Paix

Mme. Mambou Aimee Gnali
Republic of Congo
Collectif des Originaires du Kouilou

Augustin MPOYI MBUNGA
D. R. Congo
AVOCATS VERTS (Avocats africains pour la protection de l'environnement
et la défense des droits comunautaires)

Hon Augustino Nestory Sasi
Tanzania

Thabo Madihlaba
South Africa
Environmental Justice Networking Forum

Mr. Tumai Murombo
South Africa
Oliver Schreiner School of Law, University of the Witwatersrand

George Tshenolo Ramorula
South Africa

Peter Sinkamba
Zambia
Citizens for a Better Environment

Nelson Kaluba
Zambia
Community Rep.

Dr Kakoma Maseka
Zambia
Copperbelt University, Kitwe

Makanatsa Makonese
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Harare, Zimbabwe

Sena Alouka
Togo
JVE Togo, Lome, Togo

Mustapha Thomas
Sierra Leone
Fourah Bay College

Mary Durran
Canada
Development and Peace

Benjamin Annan
Ghana
Ghana Telecom, Obuasi Exchange

Richard Adjei-Poku
Ghana

Thomas Akabzaa,
Ghana
Third Word Network-Africa

Lindlyn Tamufor
Ghana

Abdulai Darimani
Ghana

Dr. Ben Naanen
Nigeria
University of Port Harcourt

Dr. Lemmy Owugah
Nigeria
University of Uyo

Nankin Bagudu
Nigeria
League for Human Rights, Jos

Nnimmo Bassey
Nigeria
Environmental Rights Action

Asume Isaac Osuoka
Nigeria
ERA/Oilwatch Africa

Oronto Douglas
Nigeria
ERA/Community Defence Law Foundation, Port Harcourt

Anyakwee Nsirimovu
Nigeria
Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL), Port Harcourt

Patterson Ogon
Nigeria
Ijaw Council for Human Rights

Dr. Sofiri Peterside
Nigeria
Centre for Advanced Social Science, Port Harcourt

Hon. Uche Onyeagucha
Nigeria
National Assembly, Abuja

Emem Okon
Nigeria
Niger Delta Women for Justice

Patrick Naagbanton
Nigeria
CEHRD, Port Harcourt

Che Ibegwura
Nigeria
Egi Ethnic Coalition

Chidi Odinkalu
Nigeria
Open Society Justice Initiative

Chido Onumah
Nigeria
Social Action/Gulf of Guinea Citizens Network

Elias Courson
Nigeria
Community Defence Law Foundation