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Ogoni leaders formed the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People. On January 

 4, 1993, Saro-Wiwa drew international attention to their cause by leading a peaceful 

 protest march of 300,000 people through Ogoniland. Again, that was 300,000 people in a 

 community of 500,000. Their resistance has been met with repression. In May 1994, the 

 Nigerian Internal Security Task Force attacked, and virtually destroyed, over 30 Ogoni 

 villages, killing more than 100 people and arresting hundreds more.'^'In the years since 

 MOSOP was foimded, more than 1000 Ogoni have been killed during clashes with the 

 Nigerian military police. The Ogoni are a peaceful people. To the best of our 

 knowledge, there have been no protest-related deaths of any person associated with Shell 

 or the Nigerian military. 



An internal memo obtained by MOSOP later revealed that the military 

 goverimient had in fact decided to escalate its efforts against the community. A May 5 

 memo written by Major Paul Okuntimo, head of the regional arm of the military, the 

 Rivers State Internal Security Force, warned of what was to come: 



Shell operations still impossible unless ruthless military 

 operations are undertaken for smooth economic activities to 

 commence... Recommendations: Wasting operations during 

 MOSOP and other gatherings making constant military presence 

 justifiable. Wasting targets cutting across communities and 

 leadership cadres especially vocal individuals of various groups. 



The full text of the memo is attached to my testimony. 



Shell's general mimager in Nigeria Nnaemeeka Achebe, told Harper's magazine in 

 June that "[fjor a commercial company trying to make investments, you need a stable 

 environment. Dictatorships can give you that" 



The Sierra Club believes that Shell Oil should feel considerable responsibility for 

 the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogoni activists. Shell's massive pollution, 

 repeated denial of responsibility for it, its refusal to clean up the Ogoni territory, and its 

 appeals to the Nigerian military to silence the protestors is what incited the civil unrest. 



More than ninety percent of Nigeria's foreign revenue comes from oil exports. 

 Nearly 50% of this oil is exported to the U.S.. Americans are the largest consumers of 

 Nigerian oil. Yet, Nigerian oil represents only 3.5 percent of America's total oil 

 consumption. It is both economically possible and morally imperative that we stop our 

 consimaption of the oil that fuels the current regime. Shell makes approximately $200 

 million a year in profits from Nigeria and has begun work on a $4 billion natural gas 

 joint venture with the military regime. An international embargo on Nigerian oil would 

 hurt the country's generals ~ who pocket most of the country's $10 billion oil revenue. A 

 boycott would hold Shell accountable for its environmental abuses and tolerance of 

 injustice. 



