DestinationAfrica

Seattle International Film Festival Awards & Delta Update

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL REPORT! Sweet Crude had three screenings at the Seattle International Film Festival . We were thrilled to screen in the glorious Egyptian Theatre, and the audience response was fantastic. Director Sandy Cioffi won the Lena Sharpe Award for Persistence of Vision and Sweet Crude was first runner-up for the Golden Space Needle Best Documentary Award for Best Documentary!

NIGER DELTA UPDATE: An emergent situation exploded in the Niger Delta in mid-May. One of the terribly unfortunate results was that villages were bombed and burned – harming, killing or displacing many innocent people. On June 30, Amnesty International released a major report detailing the pollution and environmental damage caused by the oil companies while the Nigerian government continues to favor the oil companies and not the people of the Niger Delta.

An Uneasy Calm in the Niger Delta

This is from Mary Ella 5/29/09

 

__________________________________

 

Dear Friends,

 

It has been a week since I last sent an update – a time of great intensity and focus for Joel and me here in DC, and so many others around the globe who are trying to help the people of the Niger Delta. I apologize for taking so long to tell you what has been happening, but I could feel that you were holding us in your thoughts and prayers. I kept trying to find time to document the full story for you, but now I realize that the best I can do is just get something quick out to you with the important updates.

 

 

There is both good news and bad news to report in the Niger Delta. There has been an uneasy calm of sorts for the last couple of days, only isolated skirmishes. Before that, however, many villages were attacked. No one knows yet how many people were killed and injured, or how many refugees have been displaced, because there still is no access to the entire area. The one refugee camp that was set up was dismantled by the military who thought militants might be hiding out there. Thousands are still hiding in the forest, afraid to return to their communities, and without food or medical care. It is bleak. Below is a picture from the village of Kurutie, not far from Oporoza.

On the other hand, it is good that the main attacks appear to have ceased for now. Unfortunately that seems to be less due to concern for the innocent and more due to the fact that the militants managed to blow up some main pipelines in the area, which has put a major dent in the flow of oil (and therefore revenue to the state).  One piece of good news is that although Oporoza sustained major damage, the library/computer center that was built by the Global Citizen Journey delegation in 2005 managed to survive, probably because it was in the very back of the community near the school. We are pleased that at least the library will be able to serve as a shelter when residents of Oporoza are able to return home.

 

In spite of our best efforts, we have had a difficult time getting the international media to cover the story. Partly it is just a difficult time with so many other international stories competing for airtime – North Korea, Sri Lanka, and many others. But part of it is that the story of the Niger Delta is still not very well understood. We hope our documentary film Sweet Crude will go a long way toward remedying that. Tonight it screens at a film festival in San Francisco (see www.sweetcrudemovie.com for more info on that).

 

 

 

In an ironic twist of fate, this week is full of events connected to the Niger Delta. Shell is on trial in New York for their role in the execution of environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa in Nigeria in the 90’s, and Chevron had their annual meeting yesterday, where there was much pressure applied from the shareholders to be more humanitarian and environmentally aware in their activities. So that is hopeful.

 

 

 

Being in DC during a situation like this has its advantages of access to many strategic players. Here is a snapshot of our life right now: In a few hours, Joel and I have a meeting in the office of Senator John Kerry, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to try to get them to push for getting humanitarian aid/media into the delta and facilitating 3^rd party mediation. Last night we met with the Nigeria expert on the National Intelligence Council. Tomorrow we travel to New York to meet with hundreds of Ijaws, both in diaspora and traveling from the delta, to talk about what else can be done to bring visibility to this crisis and make changes that will be sustainable for the long term. On Monday, there is a morning press conference, a lunchtime brown bag session convening leaders from various sectors to discuss the situation, then a protest march on the Mall. Joel flies back to Warri at 6pm on Monday, so we are trying to fill every moment, since he is such an effective spokesperson for the situation.

 

I’ll end with a few suggestions if you’d like to know more.  

·         Late last week, Democracy Now with Amy Goodman had a great interview with Sweet Crude director Sandy Cioffi and others on the ground. You can find it at http://www.democracynow.org/2009/5/21/stream.  The segment pertaining to the Niger Delta runs from approximately 13 min 40 sec to 35 min 30 sec. This is an excellent over all description of the situation in the Niger Delta, with compelling video and discussion.

·         Joel was interviewed by Voice of America, broadcast on Sunday on Daybreak Africa. You can hear that interview at http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-05-25-voa4.cfm.

·         There was an excellent editorial written by Vanguard focusing on the humanitarian aspects of the crisis. I have attached a copy.

Please continue to send your thoughts and prayers to the people of the Delta.

*********************************

Mary Ella Keblusek

International Director

Niger Delta Professionals for Development

Take Action to Help Avert Another African Tragedy!

Dear Friends of Sweet Crude:

 

The news from the Delta has not improved. Please see below for a statement we issued that is going to U.S. lawmakers, diplomatic contacts, NGOs and the media.

 

Many of you have asked what you can do to help. Please forward our statement widely. If you live in the United States, we’ve also drafted some suggested text you could call in or email to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as the Senators and Representatives from your own state. In September, 2008 the Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing titled “Resource Curse or Blessing? Africa's Management of its Extractive Industries.” Learn more about the proceedings and read witness transcripts here. After the hearing, Committee Chair Senator Russ Feingold issued a statement on “The resource curse in Nigeria's Niger Delta.” Read it here. This is the right  moment for the U.S. government to follow up on those hearings.

 

Thanks so much for your interest in the Niger Delta. Please help us get the word out before further tragedy befalls the people and their ancestral lands.

 

------------------

Dear [name of lawmaker]:

 

I am shocked and saddened to learn of the attack on civilians in the Niger Delta by the Nigerian military. It is reported that as many as 500 people were killed and as many as 30,000 are now displaced refugees.

 

Here is a link to a news report about the situation: War in the creeks: Stop this carnage, say N-Delta  leaders. And a recent report by the International Crisis Group: Nigeria: Seizing the Moment in the Niger Delta

 

I urge you and your fellow U.S. lawmakers to speak out immediately to stop the current bombardment and hold the Nigerian government accountable for its authorization. I ask that you call for:

• An immediate cease fire
• Safe access into the area for humanitarian organizations and journalists – to assure the safety of the refugees, medical treatment for the injured, and an accurate assessment of the conditions and casualties
• An investigation into the attacks
• Action to pave the way for legitimate, third-party-monitored talks

 

This region is on the brink. Please act before the situation devolves into full-scale war. There is still time to avert another African tragedy.

----------------------

Contact information:

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225

Majority Phone: (202) 224-4651
Minority Phone: (202) 224-6797

Senator John Kerry, chair: http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Senator Richard Lugar, ranking member: http://lugar.senate.gov/contact/contactform.cfm

Senator Russ Feingold: http://feingold.senate.gov/contact_opinion.html

Other members, Senators:

Christopher J. Dodd
Barbara Boxer
Robert Menendez
Benjamin L. Cardin
Robert P. Casey Jr.
Jim Webb
Jeanne Shaheen
Edward E. Kaufman
Kirsten E. Gillibrand

Bob Corker

Johnny Isakson
James E. Risch
Jim DeMint
John Barrasso
Roger F. Wicker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Call to Action from Sweet Crude

Call For Immediate Action to Stop the Attacks on Niger Delta Civilians by Nigerian Military Statement From Sweet Crude, a Documentary Film About the Niger Delta Crisis

 May 19, 2009, Seattle – The production company of the documentary film Sweet Crude, about the Niger Delta of Nigeria, calls on the U.S. government and international community to act immediately to stop the current attacks by the Nigerian military on Niger Delta civilians, and to demand safe passage for humanitarian relief workers into the region.

On Wednesday, May 13, the Joint Task Force (JTF) began aerial and ground attacks on militant camps in the Niger Delta. On Friday, these attacks widened to include at least nine Gbaramatu Kingdom Ijaw communities, including Oporoza, the village where much of

Sweet Crude was filmed. Based on our most recent information, these attacks on civilians continue.

According to first-hand accounts by village residents, the JTF used gunboats and helicopters to fire on villages, with women and children among the estimated 500 casualties. Some were killed while fishing in canoes. Residents fled in terror into the bush. The villages are now deserted and as many as 30,000 civilians are displaced without adequate food or water supply.

There is no way to accurately report on the number of casualties, as aid agencies have not been able to get into the region. This leaves the injured without medical attention, as there are no hospitals in the area. It is reported that the JTF has closed the waterways, barring outside access and preventing villagers from traveling and fishing.

There is a tragic history of Niger Delta civilian communities being targeted by the Nigerian military. In 1999, Odi, a community of 5,000 was wiped out completely – all residents were killed and the village was razed. In 2005, Odioma suffered a similar fate, as did the village of Agge in 2008.

The current attacks, said to be sanctioned by President Yar’Adua, fly in the face of recent talks between the Nigerian Federal government and Niger Delta activists, including militants from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). Specifically targeted by aerial bombardment was the home of Tompolo, widely seen as a political leader of the militant movement.

“While making this documentary film over the last three years, I asked continually, ‘What if the world paid attention before it was too late?’, says Sweet Crude director Sandy Cioffi. “Today, I don’t know for how many in the communities where we filmed, it’s already too late. What I do know is the Niger Delta has reached a new level of humanitarian crisis and moved closer to the brink of war. The world must step in before more innocent lives are lost, to avert another African tragedy.”

“Yar’adua has made a public pronouncement of amnesty for militants in the Niger Delta, only to order military invasion of innocent civilians,” says Joel Bisina, Niger Delta conflict management and community development expert. “This kind of deception has been perpetrated many times in recent decades. Now the army has issued a warning to stay away from the waterways. People will be dying daily, not only from bullets, but also from hunger because the creeks have been cut off from food supplies. If the Nigerian government and its military are not called to order immediately, the world will be faced with a humanitarian crisis of immense proportion.”

Sweet Crude

calls on the U.S. government and international community to take action to stop the current bombardment and hold the Nigerian government accountable for its authorization. We call for an immediate cease fire. We call for safe access into the area of humanitarian organizations and journalists – to assure the safety of the refugees, medical treatment for the injured, and an accurate assessment of the conditions and casualties. And we call for an inquiry into the attacks. The truth of what transpired must be investigated and the way paved for legitimate, third-party-monitored talks before the situation devolves into full-scale war.

Please read below for first-hand accounts of the attacks and links to news reports.

Call For Immediate Action to Stop the Attacks on Niger Delta Civilians by Nigerian Military

Statement From

Sweet Crude, a Documentary Film About the Niger Delta Crisis

ADDENDUM

War in the creeks: Stop this carnage, say N-Delta leaders

News article, Vanguard, May 18

Nigeria: Seizing the Moment in the Niger Delta

For background: International Crisis Group report, April 30

Statement from a member of MEND, received May 18

It all started on wednesday 13th may 2009 when five gunboats of the Joint military Task Force (JTF) came to camp five and started shooting, so our fighters resisted and they went back and came on friday with 15 fast gunboats, two navy wars and four helicopters gunships and begin to carry out a maximum military operations on camp five, kurutie, kunukunuma, Okerenkoko and Oporoza communities.

Before this incident, the Gbaramatu kingdom was preparing for a cultural festival called Amaseikumor festival to celebrate the newly installed traditional rular, HRM Godwin K. Bebenimibo DSP(Rtd) Ogeh-Gbaraun 111, Aketekpe, Agadagba of Gbaramatu kingdom. And so as celebrants were gathered in the palace, the four helicopter gunships air raid

Oporoza and killed over 65 persons including women, children and the aged. All residents in the entire Gbaramatu kingdom have fleed for safety. All the communities are deserted. The military has burnt down camp five and kurutie community and has been looting the deserted communities. The fleeing women and children are even denied humanitarian assistance by the military thereby compounding the problem.

President Yar'Adua refused to call the military to order which is an indication that he has ordered an ethnic cleansen because of our God given resources. As I am writing, the bombardment continous.

Press release issued by Dr. Chris Ekiyor, President of the Ijaw Youth Council, May 18

Clarion call for cease of hostility on Ijaw communities by JTF.

The IYC has watched with disdain and chagrin the recent bombardment of Ijaw communities by members of the JTF of the federal republic of Nigeria in the pretence of cleansing our communities off militants. As at the time this communiqué has been issued; the following communities, namely AZAMA, KUNUKUNUAMA, KURUTIE, OKERENKOKO,

OPOROZA, BENIKURUKURU, OKOARANKO, KOKODIA-GBE, KOLOKUMA and the entire GBARAMATU communities has been sacked. This has led to an untold suffering by the inhabitants of the aforementioned towns and villages. A case of double jeopardy, with the blatant slaying of over a 500 law abiding citizens mostly women and children, and … people rendered homeless without food or water.

To buttress the insincerity of the Federal Government and the calculated genocide by the Yar’adua administration. There has been heavy military presence in the following major Ijaw towns, namely KAIAMA, ODI, OPOKUMA,YENAGOA, BOMADI, PATANI, OKRIKA, DEGEMA, BONNY, BUGUMA, BELE to mention but a few.

It should be restated here that IYC under my leadership believes in dialogue as a means of peaceful mediation in conflict resolution and vehemently opposes the use of force in achieving peace. This genocide by the Yar’adua administration can only escalate the fragile peace been enjoyed in the region and thus, should be stopped. I am also using this as a means to call on the international communities, well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the federal government to stop this genocide, conduct a thorough investigation on those responsible for the show down and bring them to justice, not minding whose horse is gored.

The recent onslaught has brought to bear the insincerity of President Yar’adua’s administration on the question of amnesty. Is it not a national shame that President Yar’adua has refused to meet with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan on this or any other issue in the past 72 hours?

Similarly, the IYC calls for total restrain from both side of the conflicts. We have already appealed to our kith and kin in Ijaw communities to remain calm and law abiding while we find a peaceful resolution to this avoidable aggression on our communities. We still will maintain our position on Nonviolence direction action as a mean to resolving the crisis.

Excerpts from Rosiji Olarenwaju’s story of the Oporoza attack

Told to the Nigerian Tribune May 18

What was your experience like in the area?

It was around 12.00 noon on May 15, 2009. I was at the library at Oporoza, I happened to be one of the corpers posted there. I heard the sound of helicopter but because helicopters do come there sometimes, I was not too surprised until I started hearing Gbaum! Gbaum!! Gbaum!!!. I thought it was pipelines that were blowing up and so I opened the door and immediately I saw the whole community running helter-skelter.

I saw two jet fighters; they came down almost landing on the ground, though people say the jet fighters were many but I could only see two. They were shooting and aiming at one white house (guest house) opposite the palace and the palace.

On that day, it happened to be the day the king of the kingdom was celebrating the collection of his staff of office to be the king of the Gbaramatu kingdom, so, people were many that day, from both the community and outside the community.

As the shooting was going, people ran into the bush as they were now aiming their machine guns at the king’s palace and the white guest house. As the events were unfolding, some people were still running into the king’s palace to see refuge and so this time the jet fighters just rose a little and started aerial bombardment of both the palace and the white house. After bombarding both places, they faced the library where I was … I was expecting death but got out from there miraculously.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Leslye Wood: 206-915-4339

media@sweetcrudemovie.com

www.sweetcrudemovie.com

Available for interviews:

Filmmaker Sandy Cioffi: 206-612-0684

Niger Delta Conflict Management & Community Development Expert Joel Bisina: 571-213-4310

 

Nigerian Military Attack Oporoza in Niger Delta!

Dear Friends of Sweet Crude,
 
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Oporoza, the village where much of Sweet Crude was filmed, is under attack by the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military. To learn more, please continue reading below.
 
As heavy as our hearts are, we find hope in the possibility that parties in a position of influence – the media, U.S. government officials, international diplomats – will finally understand the gravity of the Niger Delta crisis and take action quickly to help end the violence. (Please read the report filed on April 30th by the International Crisis Group: http://tiny.cc/ICGReport)
 
We ask that if you know such people, please tell them what’s happening and how critical it is to speak out and hold the Nigerian government accountable – right now. Please also forward this email widely so that as many people as possible understand what’s going on – so that Oporoza is not just a faceless village in Africa, but the place where real people, many of them our friends, may be dying. And finally, please hold these men, women and kids in your thoughts and prayers.
 
With thanks from Sweet Crude movie
 
More information
There are conflicting reports, but we do know from a friend who called from the bush, where village residents have fled, that the military has opened fire and there are casualties.
 
We received this text message from one of the film’s main characters:

“The situation is getting worse every minute. Their plan is to wipe Oporoza out of the surface of Earth tomorrow morning. Pls let the international community intervene before we witness a genocide.”
 
We have also heard that a specific target is the home of Tompolo, one of the top leaders of MEND. This is a very dangerous development.

It is uncertain whether President Yar’Adua ordered or acceded to this attack – perhaps to test the waters for a larger engagement – or whether the JTF is operating outside the Federal government. Both scenarios are of critical concern in their implications about the Nigerian government, the likelihood of escalation and the collapse of any peace initiatives. Particularly alarming is the decision to target Tompolo, a MEND leader who is said to have been active recently in talks with the Federal government and who is seen as a political leader of the movement. The Nigerian Vice President, who is from the Niger Delta, is out of the country.
 
We hope the U.S. government will address the situation immediately, ask directly for an explanation of the attack and the chain of command that authorized it, and call for a cease fire.
 
The situation has been reported by several international media outlets. Here’s an article from the Wall Street Journal: http://tiny.cc/WSJ

And if you haven’t seen it, there is a 15-minute video on our web site (sweetcrudemovie.com/videoGallery) that captures the beauty and tragedy of the Niger Delta. As the opening shot depicts the serene Oporoza jetty, imagine it today, surrounded by gunboats, soldiers, helicopters and a terrifying rain of bullets. This is the human cost of the dire Niger Delta situation. Please join us in calling for an end to the crisis.

For three years we have been asking “What if the world paid attention before it was too late?”. Tonight we are flattened to know that for some people in the Delta it is already too late. But now more than ever, our attention might avert a new unspeakable level of violence.

Sweet Crude In Sunday New York Times!

Great news!

Today's New York Times, Art and Leisure section, pg 18, has a feature article of Director Sandy Cioffi and "Sweet Crude". http://tinyurl.com/8xbr6k

This is a boon to ths amazing project that has gone over and above its original call and purpose. Sandy has put her self out there in so many ways, even experiencing illegal detainment in Nigeria last April when she and a crew were there to obtain the last footage for the film. That incident was a set back in some ways, including financial.

May this article bring well deserved visibility and attention to the important humanitarian issues this documentary illuminates!

By the way, I am honored to have one of my photos in the article; it is one of my favorites.

Help Sweet Crude Get Over the Finish Line!

Sabotage the (would-be) saboteurs

This is a quick hit fundraiser that ends December 5th. Don't miss out! Check our home page between now and the 5th to see how we're doing.

Help get Sweet Crude over the

finish line!

On April 12, 2008, members of the Sweet Crude film crew were detained by the Nigerian JTF while traveling by boat in the Niger Delta. They were handed over to the Nigerian SSS and held for seven days without being charged and without access to legal counsel.

On April 18, the crew walked out of military prison – but their footage remained behind. These interviews were to be the final chapter of the film.

The Nigerian government meant to sabotage Sweet Crude and suppress the truth about the Niger Delta. So far they are failing. We emerged more determined than ever to finish this film – and we are close. But the detainment cost us tens of thousands of dollars.

We need your help to dig out of this financial hole and sabotage the would-be saboteurs. Coincidentally, sabotage was one of the charges being considered against the crew.

As much as we have and will continue to welcome your enthusiastic support, in this moment it's money we need. We realize it's not a great time to ask, given the current economic mess here in the U.S. But hey, at least this investment will yield you a beautiful piece of art instead of a loss.

Here's the deal and we do mean deal: for just $100, you'll get to take a stand for journalistic freedom AND get a limited edition, hand printed Sabotage poster.

ORDER at the bottom of this Sweet Crude page.

http://www.sweetcrudemovie.com/sabotage.php

About the poster

In the first moments of the detainment, crew member Tammi Sims used her cell phone to call Leslye Wood in Seattle. For the next seven hours, Tammi managed to surreptitiously send a steady stream of text messages. By the time the JTF took Tammi's phone, Leslye knew enough about the situation to have already begun critical release efforts.

This arresting (pun intended) piece of word art is made from the actual text messages Tammi and Leslye exchanged – on the day the crew were captured and just before they boarded the plane home to Seattle a week later. Designed by up-and-coming Seattle graphic artist Gabriel Stromberg, the posters are 18" x 24", hand painted and silk screened on archival quality cardboard stock. They are produced one by one, so each is a unique work.

The countdown

This is a quick hit fundraiser. We'll be taking orders until December 5th – just around the corner. Then we will print as many posters as we have orders for. So please, don't hit snooze and lose your chance to own this piece of Sweet Crude history. Scroll down and order right now! Why December 5th?

December 5th 2008 is the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. So what does this have to do with Sweet Crude? Well, you might know that John D. Rockefeller lobbied hard for the 18th Amendment. But what few people know is why. Teetotaling aside, according to some reports, John D. was really after Prohibition rather than Temperance, thereby shutting down the ethyl alcohol our ingenious and frugal forebears were distilling to fuel their vehicles. How else would Standard Oil, recently stripped of its monopoly, continue to capitalize on the burgeoning automobile industry? So now you know the rest of the story – or at least the theory of some theorists out there. We needed a deadline for our fundraiser and thought it fitting to commemorate this little known chapter in the annals of oil profiteering (and oil profiteering disguised as a religious crusade, at that).

Order your Sabotage poster!

The cost for these extraordinary art pieces is only $100 (USD) each. If you can afford more, we hope you'll buy lots of them. They will make great gifts. Just choose your quantity when you get to the payment page. Or if you just want to make a big fat donation or get involved in other ways, you can do that here($1000 or more will be processed through a 501(c)(3) for tax deductibility).

ORDER at the bottom of this Sweet Crude page.

http://www.sweetcrudemovie.com/sabotage.php

Personal Account of Illegal Detainment

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=586894&hp

Sandy Cioffi on CNN

Here is the CNN video clip

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2008/05/28/inside.africa.c.nigeria.oil.prices.cnn

Niger Delta and Sweet Crude on CNN

An update from Sweet Crude:

CNN International’s Inside Africa program this week features two segments about the Niger Delta, one of them about Sweet Crude!

 Check out the program descriptions at http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/12/28/inside.africa/ -- the third and fourth stories in the “read” tab.

Beginning on Wednesday, you should be able to access videos in the “video” tab.

Inside Africa airs in limited markets in the U.S. We are told that Comcast and Time Warner cable carry it and that this week’s show will air at 12:30 pm Saturday, May 24^th. We are unable to find it in any tv listings – it’s possible it airs inside another CNN show. We hope you can find it in your location.

 If you are outside the U.S., you should have better luck. Inside Africa airs widely in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Check the Inside Africa web site mentioned above for schedules.

 One more thing: A couple of days ago, we told you about the Seattle Times editorial and blog entry. There’s a place for you to comment on the story here: http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/edcetera/2008/05/think_130_a_barrel_is_high_for.html. If a bunch of us say thanks for the story or offer some thoughts, the Times will know this is an issue people care about and one they should continue to cover. So we hope you will take a minute to do this.

 

As always, thanks so much for your interest and support.