US embassy cable - 04LAGOS1493

UNCLAS LAGOS 001493 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/OSAC, DS/IP/ITA 
LONDON AND PARIS PASS TO AFRICA WATCHERS 
KABUL PASS TO SROSS 
DIA/J2 PASS TO GHAYES 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, EPET, PINS, PGOV, NI, CACS 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA UPDATE - BAYELSA HOSTAGES RELEASED 
 
REF: LAGOS 1475 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On July 20, as reported in reftel, 
several expatriate oil services employees were taken 
hostage in Bayelsa State.  We have since learned that 
all have been released, including one American citizen. 
The incident did not involve a host community dispute 
as originally reported, but rather was the result of a 
labor dispute within the contracting company.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) News and field reports indicated July 20 that 
several expatriate oil workers with the indigenous firm 
Conoil Nigeria had been taken hostage in Bayelsa State. 
We have since learned the situation was purely a labor 
dispute internal to the contracting company, Forasol 
Drilling West Africa, an American-French venture. 
Forasol is a unit of U.S.-based Pride Drilling. 
Subsequent to the initial report, we also learned an 
American citizen employee of Halliburton was among the 
hostages.  That AmCit and all other expatriates have 
been released and evacuated from the site.  We do not 
know how many of the Nigerians reported yesterday as 
hostages actually participated in the labor action, but 
all employees appear to be safe and sound today. 
 
3. (SBU) According to our latest information, junior- 
level or temporary workers at Forasol commandeered an 
oil rig yesterday to protest the company's downsizing 
plans.  The workers demanded to be made permanent 
hires.  An oil services security manager told us that 
the governor of Bayelsa State flew to the area and 
successfully negotiated the hostages' release, taking 
the expatriates off the rig in his helicopter. 
 
4. (SBU) Tonte Senibo, Corporate Affairs Officer for 
Forasol, confirmed Wednesday morning that the situation 
occurred on a rig the company managed and that the 
dispute was over wages.  She said all persons held 
against their will were released unharmed and taken to 
a hotel in Bayelsa State.  She expected them to be 
flown to Port Harcourt by 1400 on Wednesday, July 21. 
 
5. (SBU) Senibo stressed that this was a labor matter, 
and added that in the three years Forasol has been 
working in Nigeria, the company has never had a dispute 
with a local community, as was widely reported 
yesterday.  She did note that Nigerian naval vessels 
regularly patrol the waters in which the company works. 
 
7. (SBU) COMMENT:  We commented in reftel that 
community conflicts in Nigeria occur in many isolated 
areas beyond the normal purview of Nigeria watchers; 
labor unrest is equally indiscriminate in regard to 
location and size of employer.  The speed at which this 
incident was resolved by the affected company and the 
state governor was encouraging, and perhaps reflects 
the realization by officials of the need to end such 
delicate situations quickly, before the potential for 
violence increases.  END COMMENT. 
 
BROWNE