Biafran War

Nigerian Civil War

The independent state of the Republic of Biafra in June 1967

Date

6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970
(2 years, 6 months, 1 week and 2 days)

Location

The geographical southeastern Nigeria

Result

Nigerian victory

Biafra rejoins Nigeria

Belligerents

Nigeria

Biafra

Supported by:

Commanders and leaders

Ipoola Alani Akinrinade

Ted Hamman †

Muhammadu Buhari

Ibrahim Babangida (WIA)

Isaac Adaka Boro †

Timothy Onwuatuegwu †

Rolf Steiner

Festus Akagha

Lynn Garrison
Taffy Williams

Jonathan Uchendu

Ogbo Oji (WIA)

Humphrey Chukwuka

H.M. Njoku

Strength

Nigerian troops:
85,000 - 150,000 (1967)
(Possible 100,000)
250,000 (1968)
200,000 - 250,000 (1970)

Biafran troops:
10,000 - 100,000 (1967)
(Possible 30,000)
110,000 (1968)
50,000 - 100,000 (1970)

Casualties and losses

Military killed: 45,000 - 100,000 killed

Displaced: 2,000,000 - 4,500,000

Refugees: 500,000 - 3,000,000

Nigerian victory

Military killed: 45,000 - 100,000 killed

Displaced: 2,000,000 - 4,500,000

The Nigerian Civil War, better known as the Biafran War, (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), was a war fought to counter the secession of Biafra from Nigeria. Biafra represented nationalist aspirations of the Igbo people, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the Northern-dominated federal government. The conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded Britain's formal decolonisation of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included a military coup, a counter-coup, and persecution of Igbo living in Northern Nigeria. Control over oil production in the Niger Delta played a vital strategic role.

Within a year, the Federal Military Government surrounded Biafra, capturing coastal oil facilities and the city of Port Harcourt. The blockade imposed during the ensuing stalemate led to severe famine—accomplished deliberately as a war strategy. Over the two and half years of the war, there were about 100,000 overall military casualties, while between 500,000 and 2 million Biafran civilians died from starvation.

This famine entered world awareness in mid-1968, when images of malnourished and starving children suddenly saturated the mass media of Western countries. The plight of the starving Biafrans became a cause célèbre in foreign countries, enabling a significant rise in the funding and prominence of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Britain and the Soviet Union were the main backers of the Federal Military Government in Lagos, while France and some independent elements supported Biafra. France and Israel provided weapons to both combatants.

The civil war can be linked back to the 1914 amalgamation of Northern and southern Nigeria, which was for the purpose of better administration due to close proximity. However, there was so much difference in the culture and religion of the people. After the amalgamation, oil was discovered in Eastern Nigeria (now South South Nigeria), and this was a turning point in the history of Nigeria, as this led to the struggle for control amongst the regions. At this point, there was a power tussle to see who could control the central power and with southern Nigeria not as united as the north, it was arguably disadvantaged. In July 1966 Northern officers staged a counter-coup to revenge on the easterners which saw Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon emerge as the head of state. During his tenure killing of Easters in the north continued and this led to several actions which eventually resulted in the Biafran war.

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Wikipedia