In what appears like a slow of its anger, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the main militant group in the oil rich region of Niger Delta in Nigeria, yesterday announced a team of mediators to negotiate with the government over disarmament.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) named a team including Nobel Prize-winning writer, Wole Soyinka and two retired senior military officials who it said had volunteered to act as mediators on its behalf.

"These eminent persons will be known as the Aaron Team and have our mandate to oversee a transparent and proper MEND disarmament process," the group said in an emailed statement.

"The MEND disarmament process will only come after the root causes of militancy and agitation in the Niger Delta have been addressed by the Nigerian government," it said.

The amnesty process, according to the group, "lacked integrity". It would be recalled that President Umaru Yar'Adua offered an amnesty pardon in June this year to all Niger Delta gunmen who laid down their weapons.

The offer was one of the most serious attempts, Energia Magazine can reveal, yet to stem unrest which has prevented Nigeria from pumping much above two thirds of its oil capacity, costing it billions of dollars a year in lost revenue.

Presidential adviser Timi Alaibe said recently that over 6,000 militants had signed up for the amnesty.

But key militant leaders in the region including Ateke Tom and Government Tompolo, who reports say command thousands of gunmen in the region and have links to MEND, are yet to surrender. They want the amnesty deadline extended from October 4 to allow dialogue on demands including a partial military withdrawal.

The government has denied their request, saying the amnesty terms must be accepted without conditions and assured the offer would not be extended.

“Some eminent Nigerians have graciously accepted to dialogue on behalf of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) with the Federal Government of Nigeria whenever the government realizes the need to adopt serious, meaningful dialogue as a means to halting the violent agitation in the Niger Delta.

“The Nigerian government so far has not shown willingness to dialogue, preferring instead to make wild unrealistic threats, purchase more useless military hardware, and dole out bribes to traitors to our noble cause as has been obvious in its so-called disarmament process.” The statement added.

Others on Aaron Team, according to MEND are - Vice Admiral Okhai Mike Akhigbe (rtd), - Major General Luke Kakadu Aprezi (rtd) and - Dr. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde, PhD The group also nominated Ms Annkio Briggs, an activist, to liaise on behalf of the group with these Nigerians who have volunteered their time in a bid to bring a just and lasting peace to the Niger Delta.

“The hope for peace in the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general now rests squarely on the shoulders of the Nigerian government.” The statement was signed by Jomo Gbomo