Two Nigerian oil unions went on strike this week in the Niger Delta to protest against the danger of working in an area where armed rebel grousps operate. They say kidnappings are on the upswing, while the government alleges that violence has declined since it offered the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) an amnesty two years ago. Thousands did lay down their weapons, but not all Mend members accepted the amnesty. Kingsley Kuku, the presidential advisor who heads the amnesty programme, downplays the violence in the Niger Delta.
