Ceasefire agreement set to end

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) announced on 22 December 2008 that it is preparing to end its three-month ceasefire and resume attacks on the country's oil infrastructure. MEND declared a unilateral ceasefire on 21 September after carrying out a week of attacks on oil installations, which it stated were provoked by a military offensive on its camps. The militant group stated that it will resume attacks because negotiations with the Nigerian government for the release of its leader, Henry Okah, have thus far failed to yield results. Okah is currently facing charges of treason and weapons trafficking. Although MEND maintained a ceasefire, other militant groups in the region continued to carry out attacks on oil infrastructure and personnel in the region.