• The reckless activities of transnational oil and gas companies have resulted in massive degradation of the natural environment and gravely affecting communities in Sub-Saharan Africa hosting these resources including the exacerbation of poverty in these communities.
• The conspiracy between the ruling class and corporations as promoted by the World Bank and the other financial institutions in African countries has resulted in:
  • The continued exploitation of oil, gas and mineral resources resulting in mass impoverishment of local people
  • Fuelled conflicts among local people and oil and gas companies and resulting in brutal suppression of these local communities by the state coercive machinery
  • An increased external debt obligation of African countries
  • Continued reckless and illegal plunder leading to the destruction of forests, loss of biodiversity, inducing climate change and an ecological debt owed by Northern industrialized countries
• The growing militarization of the Gulf of Guinea by the United States and some European countries fuelled by their desire to control African oil and gas resources, including their plans to establish military bases in Sao Tome and other African countries and the expanded military cooperation with pseudo democratic regimes in Africa constitute a grave and worrying threat and indeed a declaration of war on the region.

In the light of the above disturbing conclusions, the meeting demands:

1. The immediate halting of the American and European military build-up and their unconditional pull-out from the region. They should equally halt military support to governments of the region. We call on civil society groups on the continent and like minded groups abroad to strongly condemn this latent American and European aggression in Africa and use all means necessary to assure their complete withdrawal from the region. Civil society groups must protest and build a mass movement to build the necessary pressure to achieve this goal
2. A moratorium on exploration and development of new oil and gas fields on the continent as a short term measure, and that efforts should be made to develop alternative energy sources and the long term ban on fossil fuel exploitation
3. A change in the relationship between African governments, international financial institutions and governments of oil and gas resource endowed African governments
4. The restoration, compensation and sanction for the social and environmental damage as a step to recognize ecological debt.
   These demands will be pursued through the construction of effective alliances and solidarity.

Lagos, Nigeria - 3 March 2005