Nigeria's militant Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) continues to threaten the country’s oil industry, this week saying it would attack oil firms in an effort to force them to meets its demands.

“In the coming days, we will carry out a number of attacks against installations and oil companies across the Niger Delta and will spread out to companies such as Total which have been spared in the past," the group said.

The militants have indeed spared Total SA from attacks so far, but the French firm last month announced plans to invest $7 billion in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry over the next 4-5 years.

Violence erupted in January after MEND called off a 3-month unilateral truce, angered with the Nigerian government for lack of progress in the implementation of a post-amnesty program for former fighters in the region.

Last June, the government offered an amnesty to rebels who laid down their guns after a 3-year campaign of violence against the country's oil industry. The campaign, which involved repeated attacks on oil installations and the kidnap of foreign oil workers, slashed Nigeria's daily oil output.

From a peak of 2.6 million b/d in 2006, production fell to as low as 1 million b/d. Since the government’s recent amnesty program came into effect, however, production has risen to 2 million b/d.

Meanwhile, reinforcing their threats, MEND rebels this week exploded two car bombs in the southern Nigerian city of Warri, close to a government building where a conference was being held on the government’s amnesty program.

According to Delta state Commissioner of Information Oma Djebah, there were no casualties in the explosion, and “The situation is under control.” MEND claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying three explosive devices were planted but that only two were detonated.

“Two car bombs were detonated,” said MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo, who added that, “The third was called off after the operative in charge realized people were running in panic towards the car with the bombs.”

What’s the outlook for Nigeria? Will MEND get its way or will the government manage to contain the rebels and keep the country’s oil and gas industry on track?