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98-539: Owerri was founded by in the 14 century CE by Ekwem Oha. Owerri was the last of three capitals of the Republic of Biafra in 1969. The capital of the secessionist state was continuously being moved as Nigerian troops captured the older capitals. Enugu and Umuahia were the other capitals before Owerri. Present-day Owerri does contain some statuary memorializing the war, particularly in locations which suffered heavy bombing, but most war artifacts and history are located in

196-407: A renewed clampdown on the campaign. A report by Amnesty International between August 2015 and August 2016, at least 150 pro-Biafran activists overall were killed by Nigerian security forces, with 60 people shot in a period of two days in connection with events marking Biafran Remembrance Day. The Nigerian military killed at least 17 unarmed Biafrans in the city of Onitsha prior to

294-755: A 25-stage plan to achieve its goal peacefully. It has two arms of government, the Biafra Government in Exile and the Biafra Shadow Government. MASSOB accuses Nigeria of marginalising Biafran people. Since August 1999, protests have erupted in cities across Nigeria's south-east. Though peaceful, the protesters have been routinely attacked by the Nigerian police and army, with large numbers of people reportedly killed. Many others have been injured and/or arrested. On 29 May 2000,

392-611: A Biafra Plate Number in 2016 in response to persistent demand by some Biafran sympathizers in the diaspora and at home. On 16 June 2012, a Supreme Council of Elders of the Indigenous People of Biafra, another pro-Biafra organisation, was formed. The body is made up of some prominent persons in the Biafra region. They sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the right to self-determination . Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu,

490-584: A Chief of Staff and operational commander who are both natives of the Bakassi . BNL have recorded a series of security clamp downs, especially in Bakassi where soldiers of 'Operations Delta Safe' apprehended the National Leader, Princewill, in the Ikang-Cameroon border area on 9 November 2016. During an attempt to mobilise a protest in support of Kanu's release, he was again re-arrested by

588-816: A converted Douglas DC-3 and one British de Havilland Dove . In 1968 the Swedish pilot Carl Gustaf von Rosen suggested the MiniCOIN project to General Ojukwu. By early 1969, Biafra had assembled five MFI-9Bs in neighbouring Gabon , calling them the "Biafra Babies". They were painted in green camouflage and armed with two Matra Type 122 rocket pods, each being able to carry six 68 mm SNEB anti-armour rockets under each wing and had Swedish WW2 reflex sights from old FFVS J 22s . The six aeroplanes were flown by three Swedish pilots and three Biafran pilots. In September 1969, Biafra acquired four ex-French North American T-6 Texans (T-6G) , which were flown to Biafra

686-487: A desire for full independence; or if they lacked such control over their territory, they were recognized by at least one other recognized nation. The criteria for inclusion in this list are similar to those of the list of states with limited recognition . To be included here, a polity must have claimed sovereignty , have not been recognized by at least one widely accepted state for a significant portion of its de facto existence, and either: The total number of countries in

784-467: A major Nigerian football club: Heartland F.C. It was known previously as Iwuanyawu Nationale , but the team retained its nickname: The Naze Millionaires. Popular super Eagle players hails from owerri, people like Emmanuel Emenike , Kelechi Iheanacho who played for major English clubs like Manchester City F.C. and Leicester City F.C. , Former Inter Milan , Arsenal , Portsmouth F.C. striker and Nigeria national football team player Nwankwo Kanu

882-568: A march on 30 May 2016 commemorating the 49th anniversary of Biafra's 1967 declaration of independence. Another group is the Biafra Nations League, formerly known as Biafra Nations Youth League, which has its operational base in Bakassi Peninsula . The group is led by Princewill Chimezie Richard, alias Prince Obuka, and Ebuta Akor Takon (not to be mistaken by its former Deputy, Ebuta Ogar Takon). The group also has

980-543: A mixed but predominantly Igbo group of army officers assassinated 30 political leaders, including Nigeria's Prime Minister, Sir  Abubakar Tafawa Balewa , and the Northern premier, Sir  Ahmadu Bello . The four most senior officers of Northern origin were also killed. Nnamdi Azikiwe , the President, of Igbo extraction, and the favoured Western Region politician Obafemi Awolowo were not killed. The commander of

1078-827: A unitary republic structure administered under emergency measures. It comprised an executive branch led by the Biafran president and the Biafran Cabinet, along with a judicial branch that included the Ministry of Justice, the Biafran Supreme Court, and other subordinate courts, reflecting its attempts to establish a functioning governmental system during the period of secession. Biafra was formally recognised by Gabon , Haiti , Ivory Coast , Tanzania , and Zambia . Other nations, that did not officially recognise Biafra, but granted de facto recognition in

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1176-519: Is estimated that a total of £115–140 million Biafran pounds were in circulation by the end of the conflict, with a population of about 14 million, approximately £10 per person. At the beginning of the war Biafra had 3,000 soldiers, but at the end of the war, the soldiers totalled 30,000. There was no official support for the Biafran Army by any other nation throughout the war, although arms were clandestinely acquired. Because of

1274-653: Is known as ofe owerri (ofe means soup, while Owerri is the capital of Imo state). It is sometimes referred to as the king of soup and in some Igbo communities, beautiful women are sometimes likened to Ofe Owerri. Ingredients for the soup, include snails , ponmo (cow skin), goat meat , okporoko (dried hake fish), dried fish , oporo (smoked prawns ), grounded dried crayfish , wraps of ogili (fermented soya beans), fresh pepper, grounded dried pepper, grounded uziza seeds ( Ashanti pepper ), cocoyam , palm oil , sliced ugu leaves (pumpkin leaves), sliced oha leaves, sliced uziza leaves, stock cubes , achi powder and salt . Owerri has

1372-590: Is now an International Cargo Airport. Some major roads that go through the city are Port Harcourt Rd ., Aba Rd., Onitsha Rd., and Okigwe Rd. Roads within the city include Douglas Rd., Weatheral Rd., Tetlow Rd., and Works Rd. Relief market is the main market in Owerri after the demolition of Eke Ukwu Owere. Owerri sits in the rain forest and produces many agricultural products, such as yams , cassava , taro , corn , rubber and palm products. Owerri also sits on huge crude oil and natural gas reserves like most of

1470-632: The 1968 election , he accused Nigeria of committing a genocide against Biafrans and called for the United States to intervene in the war to support Biafra. However, he was ultimately unsuccessful in his efforts to aid Biafra due to the demands of the Vietnam War . An early institution created by the Biafran government was the Bank of Biafra, accomplished under "Decree No. 3 of 1967". The bank carried out all central banking functions including

1568-646: The African continent varies due to the instability throughout the region. See the List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa article for a current list. Great instability was created by graft under leaders in West Africa . Many leaders marginalised ethnic groups and fanned ethnic conflicts (some of which had been exacerbated, or even created, by colonial rule) for political gain. In many countries,

1666-727: The Battle of Mhlatuze River . Located in Tswana territory west of the Transvaal , Goshen existed as an independent nation for a short period; from 1882 to 1883 as the State of Goshen and, after unification with neighbouring Stellaland , as the United States of Stellaland [REDACTED] Republic of South Peru , [REDACTED] Republic of North Peru and [REDACTED] Peru-Bolivian Confederation General José Desiderio Valverde

1764-557: The Biafran airlift . After two-and-a-half years of war, during which almost two million Biafran civilians (three-quarters of them small children) died from starvation caused by the total blockade of the region by the Nigerian government, Biafran forces under Nigeria's motto of "No-victor, No-vanquished" surrendered to the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG) . The surrender was facilitated by

1862-703: The Center for World Indigenous Studies reported that government-sanctioned killings were taking place in the southeastern city of Onitsha , because of a shoot-to-kill policy directed toward Biafrans, particularly members of the MASSOB. The Nigerian federal government accuses MASSOB of violence; MASSOB's leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, was arrested in 2005 and was detained on treason charges. He has since been released and has been rearrested and released more than five times. In 2009, MASSOB leader Chief Uwazuruike launched an unrecognised "Biafran International Passport" and also launched

1960-864: The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra , and the Biafra Zionist Front . Early modern maps of Africa from the 15th to the 19th centuries, drawn from accounts written by explorers and travellers, show references to Biafar, Biafara, Biafra, and Biafares. According to the maps, the European travellers used the word Biafara to describe the region of today's West Cameroon, including an area around today's Equatorial Guinea. The German publisher Johann Heinrich Zedler , in his encyclopedia of 1731 , published

2058-535: The Niger River delta and along the Niger River . The international humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières originated in response to the suffering in Biafra. During the crisis, French medical volunteers, in addition to Biafran health workers and hospitals, were subjected to attacks by the Nigerian army and witnessed civilians being murdered and starved by the blockading forces. French doctor Bernard Kouchner also witnessed these events, particularly

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2156-451: The Republic of Benin , a short lived puppet state. However, with the support of British, American and Soviet governments, Nigeria turned the tide of the war. By October 1967, the FMG had regained the land after intense fighting. In September 1968, the federal army planned what Gowon described as the "final offensive". Initially, the final offensive was neutralised by Biafran troops. In

2254-532: The Second Congo War ; this conflict and its aftermath have killed an estimated 5.5 million people. Since 2003 there has been an ongoing conflict in Darfur which has become a humanitarian disaster. Another notable tragic event is the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in which an estimated 800,000 people were murdered. AIDS in post-colonial Africa has also been a prevalent issue. In the 21st century, however,

2352-663: The United States and the Soviet Union , over-reliance on foreign aid, as well as the policies of the International Monetary Fund. When a country became independent for the first time, it would often align itself with one of the two superpowers in order to get support. Many countries in Northern Africa received Soviet military aid, while many in Central and Southern Africa were supported by

2450-737: The 1.7 million people in the area are members of the Catholic Church. The Anglican cathedral church of the transfiguration of our lord (CATOL) is the Anglican Cathedral for the Anglican faithfuls in the Anglican Diocese Of Owerri. There are about 700,670 members of the Anglican Church in the Owerri metropolis. All Saints Cathedral, Egbu, Owerri is the first and Largest Anglican Church in Owerri and

2548-495: The Bank of Biafra started printing out its own notes, the Biafran pound . The new currency went public on 28 January 1968, and the Nigerian pound was not accepted as an exchange unit. The first issue of the bank notes included only 5 shillings notes and 1 pound notes. The Bank of Nigeria exchanged only 30 pounds for an individual and 300 pounds for enterprises in the second half of 1968. In 1969, new notes were introduced: £ 10, £5, £1, 10 /- and 5/-. It

2646-665: The Biafran Vice President and Chief of General Staff, Major General Philip Effiong , who assumed leadership of the Republic of Biafra after the first President, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu , fled to Ivory Coast . After the surrender of Biafrans, some Igbos who had fled the conflict returned to their properties but were unable to claim them back from new occupants. This became law in the Abandoned Properties Act (28 September 1979). It

2744-583: The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigerian and Nigerian Communications Commission, has sought to clamp down on Radio Biafra with limited success. On 17 November 2015, the Abia state police command seized an Indigenous People of Biafra radio transmitter in Umuahia . On 23 December 2015, Kanu was detained and charged with charges that amounted to treason against the Nigerian state. He

2842-661: The German offensive, was evacuated to Russian city Kazan in October 1917. In spite of the initial total dependence of this client state on its sponsors, After their overthrow, the Baku commissars attempted to leave Baku but were captured by the Centrocaspian Dictatorship and imprisoned. On 14 September 1918, during the fall of Baku to Ottoman forces, Red Army soldiers broke into their prison and freed

2940-655: The Gulf of Guinea, has links with Dokubo Asari, a former militant leader. About 100 members of the group were reportedly arrested in Bayelsa during a meeting with Dokubo on 18 August 2019. The Incorporated Trustees of Bilie Human Rights Initiative, representing the Indigenous People of Biafra, have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government of Nigeria and Attorney General of the Federation, seeking

3038-570: The Igbo land areas. Owerri has a tropical wet climate according to the Köppen-Geiger system. Rain falls for most months of the year with a brief dry season. The Harmattan affects the city in the early periods of the dry season and it is noticeably less pronounced than in other cities in Nigeria. The average temperature is 26.4 °C. One major food that is particular to the Owerri people

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3136-466: The Lagos Guardian newspaper reported that the former president Olusegun Obasanjo commuted to retirement the dismissal of all military persons, soldiers and officers, who fought for the breakaway Republic of Biafra during Nigeria's 1967–1970 civil war. In a national broadcast, he said the decision was based on the belief that "justice must at all times be tempered with mercy". In July 2006,

3234-636: The Nigeria Police Force in the same area on 16 January 2018 along with 20 of their supporters. Many media outlets reported that BnL is linked to the Southern Cameroons separatists ; although the group confirms this, they denied involvement in violent activities in the Cameroon. The Deputy Leader, Ebuta Akor Takon is an Ejagham native, a tribe in Nigeria and also in significant number in Cameroon. BnL, which operates more in

3332-519: The Nigerian military, but had advantages over the Nigerian state as they were fighting in their homeland and had the support of most Biafrans. The FMG attacked Biafra on 6 July 1967. Nigeria's initial efforts were unsuccessful; the Biafrans successfully launched their own offensive, and expansion efforts; occupying areas in the mid-Western Region in August ;1967. This led to the creation of

3430-814: The PRRI on 17 February 1958. It existed from 5 February (following the popular uprising in Bologna , when the temporal power of the Pope and the Emilian Dukes were declared to be revoked) until 26 April, the day the city of Ancona was taken by the Austrian troops. Because Courland was under German military occupation since the summer of 1915, the Council was created in Estonian city of Tartu , and following

3528-492: The U.K. government clarified that IPOB had not been designated as a terrorist organisation. IPOB has criticized the Nigerian federal government for poor investment, political alienation, inequitable resource distribution, ethnic marginalization, and heavy military presence, extrajudicial killings in the South-Eastern, South-Central and parts of North-Central regions of the country. The organization rose to prominence in

3626-701: The United States, France or both. The 1970s saw an escalation, as newly independent Angola and Mozambique aligned themselves with the Soviet Union, and the West and South Africa sought to contain Soviet influence by funding insurgency movements. There was a major famine in Ethiopia , when hundreds of thousands of people starved. Some claimed that Marxist/Soviet policies made the situation worse. The most devastating military conflict in modern independent Africa has been

3724-643: The Western Region warned that if the Eastern Region seceded, the Western Region would also, which persuaded the northerners. Now, therefore, I, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, by virtue of the authority, and pursuant to the principles, recited above, do hereby solemnly proclaim that the territory and region known as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental shelf and territorial waters shall henceforth be an independent sovereign state of

3822-631: The actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra by legal means. The Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed 25 February 2019 for hearing the suit. On 31 July 2020, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra/Biafra Independence Movement (BIM-MASSOB) joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a separatist group in Nigeria that aims to restore

3920-520: The administration of foreign exchange and the management of the public debt of the Republic. The bank was administered by a governor and four directors; the first governor, who signed on bank notes, was Sylvester Ugoh . A second decree, "Decree No. 4 of 1967", modified the Banking Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the Republic of Biafra. The bank was first located in Enugu, but due to

4018-652: The army, General Aguiyi Ironsi seized power to maintain order. In July 1966, northern officers and army units staged a countercoup, killing General Aguiyi Ironsi and several southern officers. The predominantly Muslim officers named a General from a small ethnic group (the Angas) in central Nigeria, General Yakubu "Jack" Gowon , as the head of the Federal Military Government (FMG). The two coups deepened Nigeria's ethnic tensions. In September 1966, approximately 30,000 Igbo civilians were killed in

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4116-413: 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. Various Biafran secessionist groups have emerged, such as the Indigenous People of Biafra ,

4214-436: The capital of the so-called republic, outside the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. The constitution of Moca consecrated free transit and freedom of peaceful assembly. That the government would be civil, republican, popular, representative, elective and responsible, and every citizen with the right to vote could do it directly and secretly, instead of the indirect way as established by the previous constitutions. In addition,

4312-457: The closure of the Puerto Rican campaign during the Spanish–American War but were unable to secure independence The state de facto ceased to exist after the formation of the Far Eastern Republic , which divided Buryat-Mongolia in two: 4 aimags became part of the Far Eastern Republic , while the other 4 formed Buryat-Mongol autonomies of RSFSR. It was granted independence at midnight of 14 August 1947. From 14 August 1947 to October 1949,

4410-425: The commissars; they then boarded a ship to Krasnovodsk , where they were promptly arrested by local authorities and, on the night of 20 September, executed by a firing squad between the stations of Pereval and Akhcha-Kuyma on the Transcaspian Railway by soldiers of the Ashkhabad Committee . They were executed for essentially letting the Islamic Army of the Caucasus seize Baku. The Eastern Slovak National Council

4508-401: The country to elect the deputies as of December 7, 1857. At that time the women and men of greater intellectual capacity in the Cibao wished to produce a constitution that would allow an authentically democratic and representative government by the people. "The new constitution was drafted in Moca and proclaimed on February 19, 1858." That day, the Constituent Assembly meeting in Moca proclaimed

4606-442: The defunct Republic of Biafra , a country which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 prior to the Nigerian Civil War and was subsequently dissolved following its defeat in 1970. Since 2021, IPOB and other Biafran separatist groups have been fighting a low-level guerilla conflict in southeastern Nigeria against the Nigerian government . The group was founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu who has been the leader and Uche Mefor , who served as

4704-462: The deputy leader. Kanu is known as a British political activist known for his advocacy of the contemporary Biafran independence movement. It was declared a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government in 2017 under the Nigerian Terrorism Act but the declaration was nullified by a High Court sitting in Enugu in 2023. As of May 2022, the United Kingdom started denying asylum to members of IPOB who allegedly engaged in human rights abuses, though

4802-433: The eldest son of ex-President / General Ojukwu and a Lagos state-based lawyer was the lead counsel that championed the case. MASSOB leader Chief Ralph Uwazuruike established Radio Biafra in the United Kingdom in 2009, with Nnamdi Kanu as his radio director; later Kanu was said to have been dismissed from MASSOB because of accusations of supporting violence. The Nigerian Government, through its broadcasting regulators,

4900-410: The election's legitimacy. Westerners especially resented the political domination of the Northern People's Congress, many of whose candidates ran unopposed in the election. Violence spread throughout the country, and some began to flee the North and West, some to Dahomey . The apparent domination of the political system by the North, and the chaos breaking out across the country, motivated elements within

4998-420: The exact geographical location of the capital of Biafara, namely alongside the river Rio dos Camaroes in today's Cameroon, underneath 6 degrees 10 min latitude. The words Biafara and Biafares also appear on maps from the 18th century in the area around Senegal and Gambia. In his personal writings from his travels, a Rev. Charles W. Thomas defined the locations of islands in the Bight of Biafra as "between

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5096-542: The following month, with another aircraft lost on the ferry flight. These aircraft flew missions until January 1970 and were flown by Portuguese ex-military pilots. Biafra also had a small improvised navy, but it never gained the success that their air force did. It was headquartered in Kidney Island, Port Harcourt , and commanded by Winifred Anuku. The Biafran Navy was made up of captured craft, converted tugs, and armour-reinforced civilian vessels armed with machine guns or captured 6-pounder guns . It mainly operated in

5194-425: The form of diplomatic support or military aid, included France , Spain , Portugal , Norway , Israel , Rhodesia , South Africa , and Vatican City . Biafra received aid from non-state actors , including Joint Church Aid, foreign mercenaries , Holy Ghost Fathers of Ireland, Caritas Internationalis , and Catholic Relief Services of the United States. Doctors Without Borders also originated in response to

5292-410: The governors of provinces could not be the commanders of arms as it was available until February 19, 1858. Under the constitution of Moca, the municipal power was restored and the Armed Forces were declared obedient to the civil power, without powers to deliberate and with the function of defending national sovereignty, public order, as well as observing and complying with the constitution and laws. It

5390-419: The home of first Igbo translated Bible. Biafra Biafra ( / b i ˈ æ f r ə / bee- AF -rə ), officially the Republic of Biafra , was a partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group. Biafra

5488-466: The huge number of starving children, and, when he returned to France , he publicly criticised the Nigerian government and the Red Cross for their seemingly complicit behaviour. With the help of other French doctors, Kouchner put Biafra in the media spotlight and called for an international response to the situation. These doctors, led by Kouchner, concluded that a new aid organisation was needed that would ignore political/religious boundaries and prioritise

5586-432: The independence of the Republic of Biafra, citing the Igbos killed in the post-coup violence as reasons for the declaration of independence. It is believed this was one of the major factors that sparked the war. The large amount of oil in the region also created conflict, as oil was already becoming a major component of the Nigerian economy. Biafra was ill-equipped for war, with fewer army personnel and less equipment than

5684-473: The indigenous Sokoto Caliphate . The southern population is predominantly Christian , being primarily made up of territory of the indigenous Yoruba and Igbo states in the west and east respectively. Following independence, Nigeria was demarcated primarily along ethnic lines: Hausa and Fulani majority in the north, Yoruba majority in the West, and Igbo majority in the East. Ethnic tension had simmered in Nigeria during discussions of independence, but in

5782-477: The insurrectionist guerrilla forces of the Viet Cong in the American – Vietnamese War , targeting Nigerian Federal Army supply lines and forcing them to shift forces to internal security efforts. The Biafrans managed to set up a small yet effective air force. The BAF commander was Polish World War II ace Jan Zumbach . Early inventory included four World War II American bombers: two B-25 Mitchells , two B-26 Invaders (Douglas A-26) (one piloted by Zumbach),

5880-413: The lack of official support, the Biafrans manufactured many of their weapons locally. Europeans served in the Biafran cause; German-born Rolf Steiner was a lieutenant colonel assigned to the 4th Commando Brigade and Welshman Taffy Williams served as a Major until the very end of the conflict. A special guerrilla unit, the Biafran Organization of Freedom Fighters, was established, designed to emulate

5978-413: The largest impacts stem from adolescent exposure." The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) emerged in 1999 as a nonviolent Biafran nationalist group, associated with Igbo nationalism . The group enacted a "re-launch" of Biafra in Aba , the commercial centre of Abia State and a major commercial centre on Igbo land. MASSOB says it is a peaceful group and advertises

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6076-414: The latter stages, a Southern FMG offensive managed to break through the fierce resistance. Due to the proliferation of television and international news organizations, the war found a global audience. 1968 saw the images of malnourished and starving Biafran children reach the mass media of Western countries and led to non-governmental organisations become involved to provide humanitarian aid, leading to

6174-422: The liberal constitution that repealed the conservative one of December 1854. Established public freedoms and abolished the death penalty for political reasons and enshrined as rights the freedom of expression, free transit and freedom of peaceful assembly. He did not re-elect the president in succession and absolute respect for civil liberties without restrictions, including freedom of expression. established that

6272-425: The mid-2010s and is now the largest Biafran independence organization by membership. In recent years, it has gained significant media attention for becoming a frequent target of political crackdowns by the Nigerian government . It also has numerous sites and communication channels serving as the only trusted social apparatus educating and inculcating first hand information and news to its members. An organization for

6370-425: The mid-twentieth century, ethnic and religious riots began to occur. In 1945 an ethnic riot flared up in Jos in which Hausa-Fulani people targeted Igbo people and left many dead and wounded. Police and Army units from Kaduna had to be brought in to restore order. A newspaper article describes the event: At Jos in 1945, a sudden and savage attack by Northerners took the Easterners completely by surprise, and before

6468-422: The military to consider decisive action. The federal government, dominated by Northern Nigeria, allowed the crisis to unfold with the intention of declaring a state of emergency and placing the Western Region under martial law. This administration of the Nigerian federal government was widely perceived to be corrupt. In January 1966, the situation reached a breaking point. A military coup occurred during which

6566-551: The military was perceived as being the only group that could effectively maintain order, and it ruled many nations in Africa during the 1970s and early 1980s. During the period from the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Africa had more than 70 coups and 13 presidential assassinations. Border and territorial disputes were also common, with the European-imposed borders of many nations being widely contested through armed conflicts. A variety of other causes have been blamed for Africa's political instability, including Cold War conflicts between

6664-415: The most enlightened women and men of the country were chosen, whose thought corresponded to the movement proclaimed by the revolution of July 7, 1857, to overthrow the government of Buenaventura Báez, which they described as a dictatorship. Not to be confused with the earlier (1836–1845), partially recognized Republic of Texas . A group of anti-Spanish rebels also declared independence on 13 August 1898 in

6762-567: The museum at Umuahia, Abia State. On 5th April 2021, a mass prison break happened in Owerri, in which 1,844 inmates were released. It is alleged that the Eastern Security Network was responsible for the attack. Owerri has an airport 23 kilometres (14 mi) southeast of the city, called the Imo Airport , located in Obiangwu, Ngor Okpala LGA. The Airport (Sam Mbakwe Airport) provides flight services to Abuja , Lagos , Port Harcourt , and Enugu . Right now, it serves as an alternate for Port Harcourt . Sam Mbakwe (Imo) International Cargo Airport

6860-452: The name and title of "The Republic of Biafra". Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu After returning to Nigeria, the federal government reneged on the agreement and unilaterally declared the creation of several new states including some that gerrymandered the Igbos in Biafra. On 26 May, Ojukwu decreed to secede from Nigeria after consultations with community leaders from across the Eastern Region. Four days later, Ojukwu unilaterally declared

6958-404: The north , and some Northerners were killed in backlashes in eastern cities. In January 1967, the military leaders Yakubu "Jack" Gowon , Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and senior police officials of each region met in Aburi , Ghana and agreed on a less centralised union of regions. The Northerners were at odds with this agreement that was known as the Aburi Accords ; Obafemi Awolowo , the leader of

7056-703: The north and west, and with Cameroon to the east. Its coast is on the Gulf of Guinea of the South Atlantic Ocean in the south. The country's northeast bordered the Benue Hills and mountains that lead to Cameroon. Three major rivers flow from Biafra into the Gulf of Guinea: the Imo River , the Cross River and the Niger River . The territory of the Republic of Biafra is covered nowadays by

7154-490: The number of armed conflicts in Africa has steadily declined. For instance, the civil war in Angola came to an end in 2002 after nearly 30 years. The improved stability and economic reforms have led to a great increase in foreign investment into many African nations, mainly from China, which has spurred quick economic growth in many countries, seemingly ending decades of stagnation and decline. Several African economies were among

7252-405: The ongoing war, it was relocated several times. Biafra attempted to finance the war through foreign exchange. After Nigeria announced its currency would no longer be legal tender (to make way for a new currency), this effort increased. After the announcement, tons of Nigerian bank notes were transported in an effort to acquire foreign exchange. The currency of Biafra had been the Nigerian pound until

7350-480: The parallels of longitude 5° and 9° East and latitude 4° North and 2° South ". In 1960, Nigeria became independent of the United Kingdom . As with many other new African states, the borders of the country did not reflect earlier ethnic, cultural, religious, or political boundaries. Thus, the northern region of the country has a Muslim majority, being primarily made up of territory of

7448-451: The provisional revolutionary government of the Cibao were commanded by General Juan Luis Franco Bidó. In a few days they surrounded the city of Santo Domingo, thus initiating a civil war. The hostilities lasted almost a year. The groups in conflict fought with all the means at their disposal to emerge victorious, increasing violence and destruction in the country. The triumph of the revolution

7546-765: The region was de jure independent, before acceding to India on 15 October 1949. After intense diplomatic pressure, the Manipur King Bodhchandra Singh relented and acceded Manipur to India in 1949 following the Manipur Merger Agreement. Republic of South Maluku Although frequently referred to as the PRRI/Permesta rebellion, the Permesta rebels were a separate movement in Sulawesi , that had pledged allegiance with

7644-419: The reorganised Nigerian states of Akwa Ibom , Rivers , Cross River , Bayelsa , Ebonyi , Enugu , Anambra , Imo , Abia , Delta and southern Kogi and Benue states. The languages of Biafra were Igbo , Anaang, Efik, Ibibio, Ogoni, and Ijaw However, English was used as the national language. The Republic of Biafra, a short-lived secessionist state in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970, was characterized by

7742-416: The restoration of Biafra and in October 2023, it convened a three-day convention where the possibility of a Biafra referendum was discussed, attended by over 500 Biafrans and delegates globally. On 1 February 2024, a digital E-Voting was adopted, and a self-referendum kick-started the same day. Within days of the referendum exercise, more than two million electorates were reportedly recorded. Prior to

7840-549: The restoration of an independent Biafran state has been led by Simon Ekpa , a Finnish politician and Biafran political activist. Ekpa describes himself as Nnamdi Kanu's disciple. He serves as the leader ("prime minister") of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), since 2023. In 2023, BRGIE inaugurated an administrative office in Maryland , United States. It initiated the process of declaring

7938-617: The self-referendum exercise, BRGIE had already inaugurated a committee for the Biafra restoration declaration process in January 2024. List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies These lists of historical unrecognized or partially recognized states or governments give an overview of extinct geopolitical entities that wished to be recognized as sovereign states , but did not enjoy worldwide diplomatic recognition . The entries listed here had de facto control over their claimed territory and were self-governing with

8036-623: The situation could be brought under control, the bodies of Eastern women, men, and children littered the streets and their property worth thousands of pounds reduced to shambles Three hundred Igbo people were murdered in the Jos riots. In 1953 a similar riot occurred in Kano . A decade later in 1964 and during the Western political crisis, the Western Region was divided as Ladoke Akintola clashed with Obafemi Awolowo . Widespread reports of fraud tarnished

8134-412: The suffering. Although the government of the United States under the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson maintained an official neutral stance during the war, there was strong public support for Biafra in the United States. The American Committee to Keep Biafra Alive was founded by American activists to spread pro-Biafran propaganda. U.S. president Richard Nixon was sympathetic to Biafra. Before he won

8232-474: The war in their growing years exhibit reduced adult stature, increased likelihood of being overweight, earlier age at first birth, and lower educational attainment. Exposure to a primary education program mitigates impacts of war exposure on education. War-exposed men marry later and have fewer children. War exposure of mothers (but not fathers) has adverse impacts on child growth, survival, and education. Impacts vary with age of exposure. For mother and child health,

8330-768: The welfare of victims. In their study Smallpox and its Eradication , Fenner and colleagues describe how vaccine supply shortages during the Biafra smallpox campaign led to the development of the focal vaccination technique, later adopted worldwide by the World Health Organization of the United Nations , which led to the early and cost-effective interruption of smallpox transmission in West Africa and elsewhere. In 2010, researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and University of Nigeria at Nsukka showed that Igbos born in Biafra during

8428-588: The world's fastest growing as of 2011 and that growth continues through 2019. In 1819, Zwide made another expedition against the Zulus, but Shaka again changed his tactics, letting the Ndwandwe army penetrate his territory and responding with guerrilla warfare. Shortage of supplies caused the Ndandwe to return home, but when they were crossing the river Mhlatuze in early 1820, their forces were split and defeated at

8526-471: The years of the famine were of higher risk of suffering from obesity, hypertension and impaired glucose metabolism compared to controls born a short period after the famine had ended in the early 1970s. The findings are in line with the developmental origin of health and disease hypothesis suggesting that malnutrition in early life is a predisposing factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes later in life. A 2017 paper found that Biafran "women exposed to

8624-464: Was annulled. Santana returned to govern with the Constitution of 1854 that guaranteed an authoritarian government. The following day, July 8, 1857, the "Dominican Republic" awoke with two government administrations: the provisional revolutionary government of Cibao and the "government" of President Buenaventura Báez. On September 25, the provisional revolutionary Government of the Cibao summoned

8722-587: Was born and raised in Owerri. He attended Holy Ghost College, a renowned local secondary school in the Owerri town. Christianity is the dominant religion in Owerri. Catholics and Anglicans have the largest followings and Owerri is home to Assumpta Cathedral , the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri (Latin: Archidioecesis Overriensis) and the Seat of Wisdom Seminary. The archdiocese covers an area of 2,996 square kilometres. 670,986 of

8820-469: Was chosen as president of the anti-Báez and Santana provisional government, and the lawyer Benigno Filomeno Rojas as vice president. Both counted on the support of the tobacco producers and the Cibaenian trade. Among its first measures was the organization of an armed movement to march to the city of Santo Domingo, in order to overthrow President Buenaventura Báez, who was prepared to resist. The troops of

8918-775: Was established as an organisation concurrent to the Slovak National Council in November 1918. The council was led by Viktor Dvorcsák  [ sk ] , an advocate and ex-archivist from Prešov working for the Hungarian revisionist movement. Claiming the territory of the Don Host Oblast , the republic was proclaimed in March 1918 after the retreat of the White Army from the area. In May, after

9016-486: Was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region governor Chukwuemeka 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 . The Nigerian military proceeded in an attempt to reclaim the territory of Biafra, resulting in the start of the Nigerian Civil War . Biafra

9114-399: Was established on a transitory basis that the next constitutional government was chosen by the members of the constituent assembly, which they did on March 1, 1858. The constituent assembly of Moca was integrated by the provisional government of Santiago, chaired by General José Desiderio Valverde, who convened on September 25, 1857, to elect deputies from December 7, 1857. For the assembly,

9212-446: Was found that Nigerian security forces also extorted approximately $ 100 million per year from illegal roadblocks and other methods from Igboland – a cultural sub-region of Biafra in what is now southern Nigeria, causing the Igbo citizenry to trust the Nigerian security forces even less than before. The Republic of Biafra comprised over 29,848 square miles (77,310 km ) of land, with terrestrial borders shared with Nigeria to

9310-460: Was officially 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 . After nearly three years of war, during which around two million Biafran civilians died, president Ojukwu fled into exile in Ivory Coast as the Nigerian military approached

9408-409: Was purported that at the start of the civil war, Igbos withdrew their funds from Nigerian banks and converted it to the Biafran currency. After the war, bank accounts owned by Biafrans were seized and a Nigerian panel resolved to give every Igbo person an account with only 20 pounds. Federal projects in Biafra were also greatly reduced compared to other parts of Nigeria. In an Intersociety study it

9506-533: Was released on bail on 24 April 2017 after spending more than 19 months without trial of his treason charges. Self-determination is not a crime in Nigerian law. According to the South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights Organisations, security forces under the directive of the federal government have killed 80 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and their supporters between 30 August 2015 and 9 February 2016 in

9604-521: Was resounding, Báez renounced power and traveled to exile, but the project would be frustrated, since the liberal thinking of the Cibaenians would be overshadowed by the military figure of General Pedro Santana, who returned to the Presidency of the Republic in 1858 and ignored the liberal constitution of Moca. In this way, the revolution of July 7, 1857, ended and the liberal constitution of Moca

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