Abuja, Jul 9 (Prensa Latina) The Movement for the Emancipation of the Nigerian Delta (MEND) rejected presidential amnesty and claimed authorship of attacks against AGIP and Shell oil companies in southern Nigeria

During early hours of Wednesday MEND sabotaged oil pipelines of the Italian AGIP in Nambe Creek in the state of Bayelsa and also installations of the multination Shell, both in the southern Delta province.

On June 25 Nigerian president, Umaru Yar’Adua decreed amnesty for those rebels who decide to lay down their arms and renounce violent actions in the conflict zone.

The main insurgent group of the country immediately rejected the presidential pardon and announced it would continue attacking foreign oil companies and new investment projects in the region.

In 2006 MEND arose against the government demanding a better distribution of oil wealth, a rich and abundant resource in the region and using it to develop the impoverished province of Delta del Niger.

The insurgents threatened last Friday to destroy a Trans-Saharan project of 10 billion dollars signed by Nigeria and Algeria to deliver gas to the north African nation to be shipped later to Europe.

Oil production dropped to a little more than a million barrels a day due to actions against United States company Chevron, the Italian AGIP and English-Dutch Shell that operated in the largest oil and gas producing country in Africa.