SAS,
You've obviously been away for too long. So-called 'ceasefires' out here last as long as it's convenient, sometimes only for a matter of hours. The information posted by PW is correct. The full text of the announcement from the generic MEND spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, is:
After one week of intense lopsided fighting and an unprecedented sabotage on the oil industry prompted by an unprovoked attack on one of our positions including indiscriminate attacks on civilian communities, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will downgrade the oil war code named Hurricane Barbarossa to a state of alert code named Tropical Storm Vigilant.
We decided to "stop outside Baghdad" even at a time of victory over the military and utter helplessness of the oil companies. This is again due to the passionate plea made by Chief Edwin K. Clark, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, Senator David Brigidi and no others.
We hope that the military has learnt a bitter lesson. The next unprovoked attack will start another oil war that will be so ferocious that it will dim the pleas of the elders. That blood oil war will come in the form of another hurricane and its devastation and mode of operation will be different from what was seen with Barbarossa.
Effective 0100 Hrs, September 21, 2008, exactly one week we launched our reprisal, MEND will begin a unilateral ceasefire till further notice. During this time, the International Red Cross alone will be allowed access to retrieve the bloated floating bodies of several soldiers to avoid an epidermic.
MEND can only speak for itself and will not vouch for the other angry groups that aligned with the operation.
Jomo Gbomo
This is more likely to be a political move to try and help Chief Edwin Clark secure the release of Henry Okah, accused of gun-running and due to face a trial in camera. It's only a matter of time (probably a short time) until fighting resumes and anyway Ateke Tom is not part of MEND and will probably carry on fighting.