Nigerian Civil War

The Nigerian Civil War, 1967 – 1970, was an ethnic and political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the South-eastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed republic of Biafra. The war became notorious for the starvation in some of the besieged war-bound regions, and the consequent claims of genocide made by the largely Igbo people of those regions.

Break away

The military governor of the Igbo-dominated south-east, Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, citing the northern massacres and electoral fraud, proclaimed with southern parliament the secession of the south-eastern region from Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra, an independent nation on May 30, 1967 (May 29 in some sources). Although there was much sympathy in Europe and elsewhere, only four countries recognized the new republic. It was also said that one of the reasons for Ojukwu declaring the new Republic of Biafra is that he did not recognize Gowon as head of state because Gowon was not the next officer to Ironsi in the military hierarchy.

Related Topics:
Odumegwu Ojukwu - Biafra - May 30 - 1967

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