Whenever the President of the United States visits Africa we can rightly assume that the situation in the Niger Delta in Nigeria may end up on the agenda. After all, there are legitimate reasons for this to occur.

First of all, let us discuss the reason why most people pay attention to this region. The Niger Delta has an abundant supply of oil. roughly 25% of the oil imported into the United States comes from the region. One of the companies that is extracting the energy source is Chevron, a US-based company. Another company, which is now facing legal issues in the United States is the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Royal Dutch Shell.

At this time there is a militant movement in the region. This movement is called MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta). It seeks to have the Nigerian government address its grievances. The region which creates so much revenue for the federal government of Nigeria is an impoverished region. There is also great environmental damage from oil spillages and flare-offs.

This is just one of the factors that Shell will be facing soon in a New York Federal Court. The company is involved in a long delayed court case that could have have the company pay fines for the environmental policies it has in the Niger Delta and for the human rights violations it is accused of, including its alleged complicity in the hanging to death of the acclaimed writer, environmentalist and human rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed by the late Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha thirteen years ago. The people bringing the lawsuit are the family of Ken Saro-Wiwa.

The lawsuit is not the only course of action being taken by those seeking redress for the Niger Delta. On more than one occasion MEND has attempted to have the US in some capacity mediate discussions it wanted to have with the Nigerian authorites. In 2008 when President Bush made his farewell trip to Africa the group sent the president a fax message containing proposals it wanted presented to the Nigerian authorities. In the past former president Jimmy Carter attempted to mediate between the two factions.

So with this as a background, Senator Feingold (D-WI), the Chairman of the African Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked president Obama to intervene in this matter. Clearly the energy policy is a major concern for the administration. Also, it will seek to prevent the conflict from spreading. Earlier this year MEND militants were suspected of conducting raids on the capital of Equatorial Guinea. Piracy in the region is a concern as well. In the past there were talks of the US marines going into the country to assist in tracking the militants.

When President Obama makes his trip to Africa later this year, Nigerian opposition supporters are expected to Meet with Him. The President of Nigeria Umaru Yar'Adua is accusing the Obama administration of supporting coup Plotters. Clearly this shows that the federal government of Nigeria is concerned with its image in the eyes of Washington. But the activist community in the US is not pleased with what has been occuring in Nigeria over the last two decades.

The author publishes Confused Eagle on the internet and comments on US policy towards Africa. Confused Eagle can be found at http://morganrights.tripod.com