SUMMARY
The Ogoni people of Nigeria live on the northern fringes of the oil-rich delta regions in the southern parts of the country. The geographical location of the Ogoni people is of importance since it has forced them to interact to a great extent with multinational oil-companies; an interaction that has been strained, at best. The problems that followed in the wake of the massive oil findings during the 1950’s prompted the Ogoni people to form an umbrella-like organisation - MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) - which acted as a counterpart in the discussions with the government and the oil-companies. The demands of MOSOP are mainly centred on a greater level of autonomy for the Ogoni people, and that they would be compensated more fairly for the oil that is extracted from their homelands in the Niger Delta. There was widespread frustration due to the use of Ogoni land for the building of pipelines and other oil-related constructions. MOSOP did however not limit itself to acting as an interest group for the Ogoni people vis-à-vis the oil companies; they also extended their demands to include political autonomy for the Ogoni population.
MOSOP is a political and non-violent organisation that has not directly been involved in any violence. The movement is however the common denominator for the Ogoni people, and it was MOSOP that spoke on behalf of the Ogoni when there were ethnic tensions in the region.
The Ogoni people have voiced the concern that they are being persecuted due to their reluctance to allow oil-related businesses on their lands. This harassment is allegedly perpetrated by the Nigerian government as well as by the oil companies themselves.
Concerning leadership, it is difficult to pin point a leader for the Ogoni population that was in fact involved in the violence. While the leadership of MOSOP is clear, the organisation was not responsible for the violence; it was merely a channel through which the Ogoni voiced their grievances and told their side of the story. The former president of MOSOP, Kenule “Ken” Saro-Wiwa was arrested in 1993, after a MOSOP meeting that escalated into violence. Saro-Wiwa, along with fifteen other members of MOSOP, was brought to trial accused of involvement in the killings of four Ogoni chiefs. Saro-Wiwa was found guilty along with eight others and sentenced to death.
The unfair situation in the Delta was acknowledged by the Nigerian government, when on 1 October 1995 they announced that the percentage of the revenues from natural resources that should be reinvested into the local communities was to be increased significantly, to 13%. There is no information as to what extent this agreement has been honoured.
While the underlying problems of the delta region have not been solved, the area is nevertheless not as heavily armed as it was in the early 1990’s. This has enabled MOSOP to actively work for the rights of the Ogoni people vis-à-vis the Nigerian government and directly towards the multinational oil-companies that are active in the region.
Ogoni have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
