Biafra

Republic of Biafra
1967–1970
Coat of arms of Biafra
Coat of arms
Motto: "Peace, Unity, and Freedom."
Anthem: "Land of the Rising Sun"
The Republic of Biafra in red, bordered by its puppet state of the Republic of Benin to the west
The Republic of Biafra in red, bordered by its puppet state of the Republic of Benin to the west
Republic of Biafra in May 1967
Republic of Biafra in May 1967
StatusPartially recognised state
CapitalEnugu (1967)
Umuahia (1967–1969)
Owerri (1969–1970)
Awka (1970)
Largest cityOnitsha
Common languagesPredominantly
Igbo[1]
English
Minority languages
Ibibio
Ijaw
Efik
Ejagham
Ogoni
Ethnic groups
Igbo (70%)[2]
Efik
Ibibio
Ogoni
Ijaw
Demonym(s)Biafran
GovernmentRepublic
President 
• 1967–1970
C. Odumegwu Ojukwu
• 1970
Philip Effiong
Vice President 
• 1967–1970
Philip Effiong
Council of Chiefs
Consultative Assembly
Historical eraCold War
• Independence declared
30 May 1967
• Rejoins Federal Nigeria
15 January 1970
Area
196777,306[3] km2 (29,848 sq mi)
Population
• 1967
13,500,000[3]
GDP (PPP)estimate
• Total
$40.750 million
CurrencyBiafran pound
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Nigeria
Nigeria

Biafra (/biˈæfrə/ bee-AF-frə[4]), officially the Republic of Biafra,[5] was a partially recognised state in West Africa[6][7] that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970.[8] Its territory consisted of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group.[1] Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region governor C. Odumegwu Ojukwu under his presidency, following a series of ethnic tensions and military coups after Nigerian independence in 1960 that culminated in the 1966 anti-Igbo pogrom.[9] The Nigerian military proceeded to attempt to reclaim the territory of Biafra, resulting in the start of the Nigerian Civil War. Biafra was formally recognised by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Zambia while receiving de facto recognition and covert military support from France, Portugal, Israel, South Africa and Rhodesia.[10][11] After nearly three years of war, during which around two million Biafran civilians died, President Ojukwu fled to exile in Ivory Coast as the Nigerian military was approaching the capital of Biafra. Philip Effiong became the second president of Biafra, and he oversaw the surrender of Biafran forces to Nigeria.

Igbo nationalism became a strong political and social force after the civil war. It has grown more militant since the 1990s, calling for the revival of Biafra as an entity.[12] Various Biafran secessionist groups have emerged, such as the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, and the Biafra Zionist Front.

  1. ^ a b Smith, Daniel Jordan (3 March 2011). "Legacies of Biafra: Marriage, 'Home People' and Reproduction Among the Igbo of Nigeria". Africa. 75 (1): 30–45. doi:10.3366/afr.2005.75.1.30. S2CID 144755434. In 1967, following a succession of military coups and interethnic violence, the predominantly Igbo-speaking region of south-eastern Nigeria attempted to secede, declaring the independent state of Biafra
  2. ^ Nwaka, Jacinta Chiamaka; Osuji, Obiomachukwu Winifred (27 September 2022). "They do not belong: adoption and resilience of the Igbo traditional culture". African Identities: 1–18. doi:10.1080/14725843.2022.2126346. ISSN 1472-5843. S2CID 252583369.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference land was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "biafra". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins.
  5. ^ "The Republic of Biafra | AHA". www.historians.org. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Republic of Biafra (1967–1970)". 21 June 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  7. ^ Anglin, Douglas G. (1971). "Zambia and the Recognition of Biafra". The African Review: A Journal of African Politics, Development and International Affairs. 1 (2): 102–136. ISSN 0856-0056. JSTOR 45341498.
  8. ^ Daly, Samuel Fury Childs (2020). A History of the Republic of Biafra: Law, Crime, and the Nigerian Civil War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108887748. ISBN 978-1-108-84076-7. S2CID 225266768.
  9. ^ Lewis, Peter (2007). Oil, Politics, and Economic Change in Indonesia and Nigeria. University of Michigan Press. p. 78. ISBN 9780472024742. setting in motion a chain of social conflicts that culminated in the attempted secession of Igbo nationalists in 1967
  10. ^ Ijalaye, David A. (July 1971). "Was 'Biafra' at Any Time a State in International Law?". American Journal of International Law. 65 (3): 553–554. doi:10.1017/S0002930000147311. JSTOR 2198977. S2CID 152122313. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  11. ^ Hurst, Ryan (21 June 2009). "Republic of Biafra (1967–1970)". Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  12. ^ Nwangwu, Chikodiri; Onuoha, Freedom C; Nwosu, Bernard U; Ezeibe, Christian (11 December 2020). "The political economy of Biafra separatism and post-war Igbo nationalism in Nigeria". African Affairs. 119 (477): 526–551. doi:10.1093/afraf/adaa025.

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