Thursday, November 18, 2004

Trouble.

5.55 Have been informed that we have a security situation on NWM
6.07 Helicopter pilot is briefed and will fly to Iagufu to pick up a complement of armed police then fly to NWM, insert the police and extract our personnel.

6.23 Weather has cleared enough for helicopter to take off.
7.06 Personnel returns safely to base. Helicopter to Moro to refuel and then extract police force.

The following transpired after our crew returned. About 16.30 yesterday a group of men from the Toma clan arrived on site and demanded that we vacate the project. The workforce then returned to their camp at the NWM well head and locked the security gates. The men from the Toma clan set up camp outside the fence, nothing unusual so far. Then at two o'clock on the morning a raiding party dug it's way underneath the fence and confronted our workforce yet again. This party was made up from people not related to Toma (i.e. from Tari and Komo). In this area confrontations during night time are virtually always violent, if you have a gripe with someone you confront them during the day, if you want to murder them you go during the night, so our men were obviously on edge. Luckily discussion although heated continued until daylight and at that time we were alerted and the evacuation took place.

At present the party from the Toma clan and various others is camped outside the fence and one of our policeman is staying inside the fence to protect our camp although our supplies of food and camping equipment must now be considered lost.


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