US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1684

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WARRI UPDATE: REPORTED MILITARY CLASHES WITH IJAW

Identifier: 03ABUJA1684
Wikileaks: View 03ABUJA1684 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abuja
Created: 2003-09-29 17:29:00
Classification: SECRET//NOFORN
Tags: PINS PGOV MOPS PHUM NI
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

291729Z Sep 03
S E C R E T ABUJA 001684 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NOFORN 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2013 
TAGS: PINS, PGOV, MOPS, PHUM, NI 
SUBJECT: WARRI UPDATE:  REPORTED MILITARY CLASHES WITH IJAW 
 
 
REF: A. ABUJA 1656 
     B. DAO ABUJA IIR 6 871 0168 03 (25SEP03). 
 
 
Classified by Political Counselor James Maxstadt for reasons 
1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1. (C/NF) The September 29 Nigerian newspaper "The Vanguard" 
reported that a military unit of the Joint Task Force fought 
with Ijaw youth at Jones Creek Island over the weekend, 
leaving four people dead and several others injured.  Ijaw 
NGO activist Joel Bisina told CRO September 29 that on 
September 25 or 26 a military Joint Task Force unit 
approached the Jones Creek area with orders to attack and 
destroy surrounding Ijaw villages.  According to Bisina, 
"Ijaw leaders" intervened with military commanders in Abuja 
to break off the military action, but not before one village 
was completely destroyed. 
 
 
2. (C/NF) Captain Femi Ogunjimi, Commander of the "NNS Delta" 
Nigerian Navy unit in Warri, told a U.S. NGO representative 
in Warri September 26 that a unit of the Joint Task Force 
executing "Operation Restore Hope" had clashed with an Ijaw 
community in the Warri creeks.  It may have been the same 
incident at Jones Creek.  Captain Ogunjimi would not identify 
the location, but claimed one Navy soldier had been injured 
and was now being treated in a clinic in Warri.  The Captain 
did not know the number of casualties, if any, on the Ijaw 
community's side, and none of our other sources could give us 
a firm number different from that in the "Vanguard" newspaper 
story. 
 
 
3. (S/NF)  Comment: These sketchy reports seem in line with 
the DAO Abuja's report (Ref B) that a military operation is 
now underway in the Delta.  All contacts report the situation 
in Warri is extremely tense. 
MEECE 

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