Nigeria's main armed group in the Niger Delta, Mend, said the 90-day ceasefire it declared had ended on Friday and that it is resuming attacks against the oil industry and military forces.

"The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) resumes its hostilities against the Nigerian oil industry, the Nigerian armed forces and its collaborators with effect from 00:00Hrs on Friday, 16 October 2009," it said in a terse email statement.

The Mend statement did not state explicitly if it had actually carried out attacks on troops and oil installations.

The group, which claims to be fighting for a fairer share of oil revenues for the impoverished residents of the region, had earlier threatened foreign oil companies that it would conduct even more damaging attacks.

"In this next phase, we will burn down all attacked installations and no longer limit our attacks to the destruction of pipelines," it said in an email.

Mend has waged an "oil war" for the past three years, forcing down output from 2.6 million barrels a day to 1.7 million currently, putting Nigeria's position as Africa's top oil exporter at risk.

The group rejected a recent government amnesty offer describing it as a "charade", saying it failed to address the key issues of under-development and injustice in the Niger Delta.

More than 8000 militants laid down their arms and accepted the amnesty which ran from 6 August to 4 October.

Last week, the group threatened to intensify its campaign after negotiations with the government of President Umaru Yar'Adua failed to materialise.

The rebel group set up a committee — which included 1986 Nobel laureate in literature Wole Soyinka — to run negotiations with the government but talks never transpired.

AFP

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