Nigeria unrest

[Walsingham]

I've been trying to get better informed about the Nigerian unrest. I've been hunting down expat Nigerians but on the whole the ones I located were unhelpful, defensive and tub-thumpingly patriotic. Can anyone here enlighten the assembly on the state of their union, and what all these killings are about?

 

So far the journalistic key-phrases appear to be:

 

Oil (w00t)

Ethnicity (w00t)

Local corruption/warlordism (w00t)

Religion (w00t)

Lots of unemployed young men*

 

*I'm starting to wonder if there shouldn't be some sort of mandatory scheme for the human 'rogue male'. Everywhere you look they seem to form the core of all lackwit violence. Or am I being unfair?

[Moose]

What

[Walsingham]

I am requesting the opinions/information of board members on a topic of interest. I have my own views, but am more interested in hearing those of others (for once). Is that odd?

[Stewdawg24]

There is an excellent book by Thomas Barnett, "The Pentagon's New Map" that spends a great deal of time discussing the problems that currently plague many African nations. His work is insightful and provoking although he comes off a little arrogant at times. Barnett's theory essentially states that those areas that fall into the "non-integrated gap" (ie Middle East, Africa, and parts of South America) face simialr issues with regard to disenfranchisment and political and religious extremeism. I don't remember if he spoke in particular about Nigeria, but it could provide an interesting platform for your studies. I've included a link to an article in Esquire magazine, which eventually evolved into the book, it should give you a good idea if it's what you're looking for. By the way, what about the Nigerian conflict interests you?

 

http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2..._barnett_1.html

Edited January 25, 2006 by Stewdawg24

[SteveThaiBinh]

Oil  (w00t)

Ethnicity  (w00t)

Local corruption/warlordism (w00t)

Religion (w00t)

Lots of unemployed young men*

All of the above, perhaps - a lethal cocktail. You might add increased poverty and family breakdown due to HIV/AIDS as a background factor, I suppose. Part of it may be the curse of having natural resources - how much good has the diamond business done for Sierra Leone? I'm afraid I don't know much about it, though.

*I'm starting to wonder if there shouldn't be some sort of mandatory scheme for the human 'rogue male'. Everywhere you look they seem to form the core of all lackwit violence. Or am I being unfair?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're running the risk of being called a feminist extremist. (w00t) But no, you're not being unfair.

[Jorian Drake]

I am requesting the opinions/information of board members on a topic of interest. I have my own views, but am more interested in hearing those of others (for once). Is that odd?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No, thats wise )

[Walsingham]

Thanks for the feedback, gents. I shall pick up a copy of that book, Stewdawg.

 

I suppose my principle interest stems from a couple of things

 

1) My experiences of Africa are in the South & East. Nigeria seems different somehow. Possibly the greater divisions of ethnicity. It intrigues me to detect this difference.

 

2) The Nigerian violence seems perpetrated on the surface with the intention of pressuring large oil companies to invest in the country/spread the wealth. My initial reaction is that the nature of the raids I have been reading about are as much geared towards monetary gain. Hostage taking for cash, disruption of the oil firms in general to prevent them taking action against oil theft. But then equally you have attacks on churches and mosques.

 

3) Why is it that the people are trying to pressurise the oil firms rather than tehir own government? Are the legislators so hopelessly corrupt? If they were not so corrupt would many problems be resolved peacefully?

 

4) Is the principle problem one of overpopulation? The creation of many more human beings than the region can support in work by subsistence farming or resource extraction.

 

I suppose I am interested in whether there really is a single reason why the violence is occurring. Do the perpetrators themselves really know what the reason is?

 

Understanding the Nigerian conflict is going to become more important the worse it gets. If the situation goes all hairy for any reason at the same time as Iran you may as well sell your cars.

[Calax]

well judging by the warlordism, it looks like the country might end up fracturing into a bunch of independant states.

 

Tho if we really thougth this might be a profit pit push would add em to the axis of evil and lickety split send in "peacekeepers" to take over the gvmt "

[Walsingham]

well judging by the warlordism, it looks like the country might end up fracturing into a bunch of independant states.

 

Tho if we really thougth this might be a profit pit push would add em to the axis of evil and lickety split send in "peacekeepers" to take over the gvmt  "

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

My expats said that the North would like to break off, but the oil is in the South.

[SteveThaiBinh]

I suppose I am interested in whether there really is a single reason why the violence is occurring.

Unlikely. When you look at your list of possible factors like corruption and unemployment, there's nothing there that isn't shared by plenty of other countries in Africa and beyond, and many of those countries have much less violence than Nigeria.

 

Africa is full of countries that are an incredible mix of languages, cultures and ethnicities. They tend not to break up, perhaps for international rather than domestic reasons (neighbouring countries don't want to let them split up for fear of encouraging their own separatists). I can't think of any other than Eritrea/Ethiopia in recent history.

 

Is it possible to see the violence in the Niger Delta as separate from the religious/ethnic tensions elsewhere?

[Walsingham]

I'm not sure if religion/ethinicity ought even be used as an explanation. Is it not rather more a tool used by unscrupulous power seekers? Or am I being an apologist?