2007年VOA标准英语-Niger Delta Militant Gives Up Gun for Peace Wor

By Kari Barber
Port Harcourt
01 June 2007

While violence has reached new heights this year in Nigeria's Niger Delta¹ with nearly 200 kidnappings of foreigners since January, one former militant² leader, now a peaceworker, has taken the risky³ step of denouncing the violence. Kari Barber has more on his story from Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta.

JP greets his neighbors

Stepping outside his family's apartment, JP, a former shoot-on-sight commander for a militant group, says now his neighbors will greet him. They used to fear him.

Fighters from JP's former gang, the Greenlanders, cruising slowly through the neighborhood stop to talk.

The conversation is friendly.

Known as Justice of the Peace or Juju Priest, JP says when he joined the militants⁴, which he calls a confraternity, he never imagined how far it would take him.

"I joined the confraternity so someone would not take my cap or something with force," said JP.

JP says he was quickly wrapped up in a life of violence.

But with the help of the woman he calls "Mom," peaceworker Judith Asuni, JP says he is finding his way out. Asuni runs an organization called Academic Associates Peaceworks. She hired JP to help convince other militants to give up their weapons and create dialogue between different groups.

"These are often guys looking for alternatives and if the alternatives are not provided they will stay in this cycle," she explained. "But if they are offered genuine alternatives and the environment can be changed, then they have a chance of living a different kind of life."

JP and two other former militants formed an elite⁵ advising group called The Three Wise Men.

Recently one of the three was killed in a retaliation⁶ shooting by a member of JP's old gang.

In tears, JP delivered a eulogy⁷.

JP says he is now keeping a low profile to avoid being the next target. As a peace worker he no longer carries a gun or travels with an entourage of protection.

"My wife is worried about me because she wants me to be alive for all time for our babies and I too, I would never want to leave this Earth until the day God says and not by violence," he said.

Although kidnappings and attacks are on the rise, JP says he believes he is on the winning side.

"Something we have started so many years ago, you cannot just stop in one day. So, gradually," said JP.

Despite the risks of his new life, JP says it is worth it to feel free.

1 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

6 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 eulogy   

n.颂词；颂扬

参考例句：

• He needs no eulogy from me or from any other man. 他不需要我或者任何一个人来称颂。
• Mr.Garth gave a long eulogy about their achievements in the research.加思先生对他们的研究成果大大地颂扬了一番。