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News Sport Weather World Service Languages Low Graphics version | Change edition About BBC News | Feedback | Help News Front Page Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East South Asia UK Business Health Science/Nature Technology Entertainment ----------------- Have Your Say In Pictures Week at a Glance Country Profiles In Depth Programmes LANGUAGES MORE > Last Updated: Friday, 1 October, 2004, 13:30 GMT 14:30 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Nigerians find little anniversary cheer By Sola Odunfa BBC correspondent in Lagos It is a public holiday in Nigeria in commemoration of the nation's 44th independence anniversary. Violence in the Delta threatens crucial oil supplies But rather than go on picnics in celebration of the occasion, many Nigerians will stay at home thinking and planning how to survive in the harsh economic, political and security environment in which they live. In the Niger Delta, hundreds of families are still trying to pick up the pieces of their lives from the unending carnage brought by ethnic wars and violent struggles for control of crude oil resources. Soldiers have turned the region's major cities of Port Harcourt and Warri into garrison cities and they are engaged in combat with angry militiamen who are making the crude oil business in the creeks more risky by the day. In the south-east, the ethnic Ibo people are waging a strong political propaganda war against the rest of the country in an effort, they say, to claim the right to hold the highest political office in the land. They allege that they are still being punished for the Biafran war of succession which ended 34 years ago and they are angry. Violence The Middle Belt is yet another combat zone. President Obasanjo has struggled to keep a lid on grievances Ethnic wars among the Hausas, the Tiv, the Jukum and other groups have claimed thousands of lives in the past four years. What peace there is in the region today is a function of the alertness of the military and other state security forces. In the past two weeks, soldiers have been combing the plains of the north-eastern region for militants who say they want to turn Nigeria into a fundamentalist Islamic state. Several people, including policemen, have died in the mindless violence. D-day The country as a whole is also bracing itself for what union leaders have described as, the final battle against the government's economic policies, especially the frequent increases in the price of petrol. Reconciliation after violence The D-day for the planned general strike is 10 days away. Armed policemen are getting ready for the expected showdown. All this, plus continuing protests by unpaid pensioners and unemployed youths and a strong undercurrent of ethnic tensions, make Nigeria at 44 an uneasy cauldron even though the government would like to say: "All is well". E-mail this to a friend Printable version LINKS TO MORE AFRICA STORIES SelectNigeria Delta rebels agree truceThousands more troops for DarfurEU backs African asylum projectUN to boost DR Congo peace forceMore migrants reach Italian soilLiberia refugees return homeMedication warning over RamadanRefugees in Zambia face food cutsTrio join World Cup raceCharges over Sudan 'coup plot'Russia jails killers of AfricanLibya demands permanent UN seatConcerns over EU 'transit camps'Nigeria holds 'Taleban' militantLibya denies Mauritania coup linkNigeria 'agrees' Delta oil truceWho are Sudan's Darfur rebels?Desperate measures in ZimbabweFootball hairdo alarm in NigeriaCan women save the planet?Do you have a story to tell?Send us your pictures of AfricaProgrammes and schedules  FROM OTHER NEWS SITES: Herald Tribune Nigeria Militia Leader to Disarm Fighters - 12 hrs ago CNN Oil's first close above $50 - 13 hrs ago MSNBC U.S. crude ends week above $50 a barrel - 14 hrs ago New York Times Oil Closes Over $50 as Market Eyes Nigeria - 16 hrs ago Washington Post Oil Ends Above $50 on Nigeria Fears - 17 hrs ago About these results The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites SEE ALSO: Nigeria's oil capital under siege 08 Sep 04  |  Africa Gun battles in Nigeria oil region 14 Jul 04  |  Africa Security sweep in Nigeria's Delta 31 May 04  |  Africa Nigeria head vows to find pirates 25 Apr 04  |  Africa Who benefits from Africa's oil? 09 Mar 04  |  Africa RELATED BBC LINKS: Focus on Africa RELATED INTERNET LINKS: Nigerian government The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites TOP AFRICA STORIES NOW Nigeria Delta rebels agree truce Thousands more troops for Darfur EU backs African asylum project UN to boost DR Congo force News alerts | E-mail services | Desktop ticker | Mobiles/PDAs Back to top ^^ News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia UK | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health Have Your Say | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes BBC Homepage >> | BBC Sport >> | BBC Weather >> | BBC World Service >> About BBC News | Help | Feedback | News sources | Privacy & Cookies Policy | About the BBC

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