COMMUNIQUÉ ON THE OILWATCH AFRICA SUMMIT ON OIL, ENVIRONMENT AND CONFLICT HELD IN WARRI DELTA STATE IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA DECEMBER 3RD – 6TH 2007

PREAMBLE
Civil society groups and community representatives from some countries in Africa who are members of the Oilwatch Africa Network participated in a three day intensive strategy session on oil, its impact on the environment and its inherent capacity to inflict violence on local communities who are unfortunate to have oil discovered around them.

Participants particularly reflected on the activities of Oilwatch Africa in the last one year, the need to quickly strengthen and build sufficient capacity within the network such that the network can significantly influence policy on oil both at national and regional levels; participants also took a position on the climate change issue that would be pushed at the Bali Climate Change conference.

The Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has condemned Tuesday's arrest and detention of its officers, community elders and some journalists at Iwherekan community, Delta State by soldiers guarding gas flaring sites operated by Shell. The group demands their immediate release and an apology from the military and Shell.

In a statement issued in Benin yesterday, ERA said some of its officers, community elders, women, children and journalists from national newspapers and televisions stations including the Federal Government- owned Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) were arrested during a community interactive forum on the impact of gas flaring.