VOA标准英语2009年-Nigeria's Militant Amnesty Program Begins

A Nigerian government program that offers cash, job training and pardons to militants² who turn in their weapons begins Thursday. The government hopes this will bring stability to the troubled, oil-producing Niger Delta³.
　
A fighter of the Movement for the Emancipation⁴ of the Niger Delta (MEND) holds his weapons at the militia's creek⁵ camp in the Niger Delta (file photo)

The government expects to disarm⁶ as many as 10,000 militants in the 60-day program. According to the initiative's chief coordinator⁷, Air Vice⁸ Marshall Lucky Ararile, the reintegration of the militants into mainstream¹⁰ society will be preceded by disarmament and demobilization.

"It is basically a DDR program, that is [a] disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program. The first two phases ... [are] essentially¹¹ military because we are dealing¹² with arms: retrieval of arms, transportation of arms, destruction of arms," Ararile said. "After [that] we get to the real reintegration phase where integration⁹ centers are being prepared to receive the ex-militants. Whilst there, they will be classified, sorted, and given the choice to select what they want to do to sustain themselves after leaving the camp. Arrangements are being made to provide some skills for those who want to acquire [them]," he continued.

Hundreds of militants had expressed interest in taking the clemency¹³, including a few rebel commanders. But many key issues, such as what happens after the two-month amnesty window expires, are yet to be resolved.

Delta's Grievances¹⁴ Long-standing and Deep

One of the region's prominent leaders, Chief Edwin Clark, says the amnesty can only be the first step in addressing the Delta's long-standing grievances.

"The amnesty is not an end in itself. It should be a means to an end. That is, once there is amnesty and there is peace, the federal government should move in to develop the area physically¹⁵ ... a neglected area. Unless this is done, the amnesty will fail. The amnesty cannot exist on its own," Clark said.

Tensions have flared¹⁶ in the oil-producing region in recent weeks, following reports that the government was planning to relocate a petroleum¹⁷ training institute from the Niger Delta to the northern city of Kaduna. The government has since denied the statement credited to the oil minister. A group of Niger Delta students staged a mass protest in Warri Wednesday, where student leader Chris Onodjacha sharply denounced the government for its neglect of the region.

"This same institution has given us the presidency¹⁸. The only federal presence in Delta state is the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurum. And, for the federal government to have thought of reversing this same institution that has given us the presence of the federal government and by replicating¹⁹ same in Kaduna, it is insensitive. It is madness. We produce the milk and honey with which Nigerians are being fed, but as I speak to you, we don't have the presence of the federal government in this region," Onodjacha said.

Oil Sector²⁰ Reform Key to Reconciliation²¹

There is also widespread disenchantment in the region because of Nigerian efforts to reform the slumping²² oil sector. A bill which seeks to give ownership of oil to the federal government is before parliament and has provoked stiff opposition²³ from leaders in the Niger Delta who complain it would leave them without funds.
　
Oil has brought violence to Niger Delta, 20 May 2007

A constitutional lawyer in the Delta, Akpo Mudiaga Odje, says stability would only return to the oil region, whose residents have enjoyed few of the riches from 50 years of oil production, when local people derive²⁴ substantial benefit from the oil industry.

"The time has come for government to revitalize that aspect of the suffering of the people, and restructure the oil industry in such a way to make the people benefit from their resources," said Odje.

Main Delta Rebel Group Still Mute on Amnesty Program

In late June, President Umaru Yar'Adua offered unconditional²⁵ amnesty for all militants who lay down their arms and renounce²⁶ violence. The amnesty runs until October 4.

Militants have waged a violent campaign in the Niger Delta since early 2006 to protest what they see as years of neglect of the oil-rich region.
　
Undated photo of Henry Okah, a suspected leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), who was arrested in September 2007

The main militant¹ group has yet to take a position, but chief amnesty coordinator Ararile says the offer is a sincere peace effort and should be supported by all.

"What happens after October 4? Well, my advice to all the militants is that they should seize this window of opportunity that the president has magnanimously provided. Subsequently, the course of action that the government takes is up to it. So I think it is in the interest of everybody," Ararile said. "Most Niger Deltans are tired. They are the victims of this whole struggle. It is virtually impossible for development to take place in the Niger Delta, today, with the level of violence we have. So it is important for all of us to embrace this process and bring peace to the delta," he continued.

Nigeria derives²⁷ more than 90 percent of its foreign exchange earnings²⁸ from oil.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

6 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

7 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

10 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

11 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

12 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

13 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

14 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

16 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

17 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

18 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

19 replicating   

复制( replicate的现在分词 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• Applications create these partitions for storing and replicating data. 应用程序创建这些分区用来储存和复制数据。
• The closest real things to these creatures were bits of self-replicating RNA. 最贴近这些造物的实物是能做一点微不足道的自复制的核糖核酸。

20 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

21 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

22 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

23 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

24 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

25 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

26 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

27 derives   

v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• English derives in the main from the common Germanic stock. 英语主要源于日耳曼语系。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derives his income from freelance work. 他以自由职业获取收入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。