FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE EUROPEAN UNION FAILS TO TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST NIGERIA: GREENPEACE

BRUSSELS, 6 December 1995 -- The European Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday clearly recognised that the situation in Nigeria requires international action. However, they have stopped short of applying the only measure that would have any effect - an oil embargo against Nigeria.

The European Union agreed to a series of visa restrictions, the expulsion of Nigerian military personnel from the European Union and limiting sporting contact. None of these measures send a strong enough message from the international community to the Nigerian government and Shell.

"Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were executed as a result of their campaign against the environmental destruction of their homeland by Shell," said Paul Horseman of Greenpeace International, "Despite its strong condemnation of the executions and the Nigerian dictatorship, the international community has not taken any real action, instead they have said business as usual."

In January, the trials of 19 more activists are scheduled to begin in Nigeria. They face the same charges and penalty as Ken Saro-Wiwa. The activists are in jail because they have been campaigning against the environmental devastation of their homeland by the oil industry - predominatly Shell.

"The Nigerian regime will stop at nothing to ensure that the oil production continues, hence an oil embargo is the only real measure which sends the right message to both industry and to Abacha's regime." added Horseman

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