The Beeb is reporting that a deal has been reached between the women hostage-takers and Chevron, ending a more than week-long standoff.
The occupation of the terminal has halted the production of an estimated 500,000 barrels of oil a day.
This type of local action, while drastic, is heartening to hear about. It would be great to see workers (or workers’ families) stand up against the foreign companies demanding a much higher rate of local investment. While this may not improve work conditions, it should improve local social conditions, which is a first step on a long road up to greater equality.
Quotes like this are a common thread across every report on this I’ve read. It doesn’t sit quite right – each one feels like the agency is saying ‘look, aren’t they quaint little Africans? feeling trapped because they think seeing a woman naked is a shame’. It is an interesting fact about the situation, but there’s something in the tone of how it is being reported that seems a little, well, colonial.