Members of the Niger Delta Vigilante, an ethnic Ijaw militia in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
Photo: AFP
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Nigerian Rebels Demand Social Responsibility from Rusal
Today marks one month since six Russian citizens, five Rusal employees and the father of one of those employees, were kidnapped by the Nigerian rebels. Nigerian media report that the rebels have sent letters to the country's president and vide president and to Akwa Ibom state's governor and deputy governor with eight demands for the release of the captives. Those conditions include improved working conditions and the payment of back wages and compensation to former employees at Rusal's Alscon aluminum plant in the Akwa Ibom and the payment of 60 million Nigerian naira ($479,000) in ransom. Nigerian authorities are in negotiations with the rebels, the Nigerian newspaper Daily Champion reports.
The Alscon plant began operations in 1997 with 92.5-percent Nigerian state ownership. (The remainder belonged to the German Ferrostaal AG.) It closed down the next year, however, due to cash-flow and gas-delivery problems. Rusal bought a controlling share in it from the Nigerian government in February of this year for $250 million.
This is the first case of the kidnapping of foreigner in Akwa Ibom. It is said that the Niger Delta Vigilante rebels were hired and aided by local tribes that have been demanding the payment of 24 million naira ($192,000) in compensation and back wages, as ordered by a Nigerian court in 1998. According to Rusal press secretary Vera Kurochkina, that money is being demanded from the Nigerian government, not from Rusal.
Chairman of the National Antiterrorist Committee and head of the FSB Nikolay Patrushev has stated that members of the Russian special services have been sent to Nigeria to help free the hostages. The Nigerian Embassy in Moscow has confirmed that six visas were issued to members of the NAC. The NAC, FAS and Russian Foreign Ministry declined to comment on that information.
The situation in Nigeria is complicated by the fact that obscure governor Umaru Yar'Adua was handpicked to succeed Olusegun Obasanjo as president two months ago, and it is not clear who controls law enforcement and other key positions in the country. That question occupies much of officials' time now. Rusal promises to have the Alscon plant running by next year. There are vacancies there for five managers and a translator listed on the company's website.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 03, 2007
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