As Controversial President Takes Office, Nigerian Militants Declare Ceasefire

As Controversial President Takes Office, Nigerian Militants Declare Ceasefire

LAGOS, Nigeria -- A key militant group in Nigeria's troubled Niger Delta region announced a one-month ceasefire Saturday, giving the country's new president an opportunity to make good on promises to bring an end to the crisis there.

The Niger Delta is the center of the oil industry in a country that is the sixth largest producer in the world, but the region is also home to some of Nigeria's worst poverty. Over the last year-and-a-half, militant groups seeking a share of Nigeria's oil wealth have sprung up in the delta. The groups have kidnapped Western oil workers and bombed industry infrastructure, disrupting the flow of oil from the region and even affecting prices on the global market.

But now the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, a shadowy militant group, is offering a respite.

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