For Africa it was a cautionary tale. The 1960s, in which so many African countries gained independence, had started with a brutal war of secession in Congo. They ended with another. However, Biafra’s failure to redraw colonial boundaries by force put an end to most further attempts.

If any change is to be made now, it must be by consent, as in Sudan. Perhaps General Ojukwu’s stand was needed to achieve this.

Kilode?!:

I was waiting for The Economist or Time obituary


This is the conversation we should be having, not this childish back and forth over who should have the biggest roundabout in their honour.

Secession was surely not what Colonel Ojukwu had in mind when he became governor of the East. The Economist.

Obi1kenobi:

It's a big shame only foreigners can tell the truth about this country. All the most honest, forthright accounts of the Biafran war I've read have been by foreigners. The local ones are filled with historical revisionism and ignores salient issues that linger.

Such as why a mass murderer and ethnic cleanser should have our biggest international airport and most popular currency note dedicated to his name. We're very far from full reconciliation until full justice is served.

Reggie2:

People had wondered how and why ndiigbo resisted the warfor so long. Think of gruesome killing in the north and Nairaland kind of yoruba hatred for igbo and you would be getting close to the picture!

Though he was himself an Ibo and a lieutenant-colonel in the army, he had not been involved in this Ibo-led plot, nor, less surprisingly, did he take part in the second coup, six months later, which was led by northerners. He was a federalist, which is to say he believed in keeping Nigeria as a federal state.

The colonel was clever and more educated than his counterparts, which may have been why he would not defer to his antagonist, Lieut-Colonel Yakubu Gowon, the federal supreme commander; or perhaps he was just proud and obstinate, as his critics had it.

At the time, though, Biafra still seemed to offer the prospect of a country better run than most others in Africa, and the fears of genocide were certainly well founded.

Orikinla:

The Lion of Biafra did what he had to do then.
The Igbos lost the warm because they were betrayed by the Yorubas and saboteurs in the South-South.

lagcity:

Look, if I base my judgement on NL, i would think Igbos hate Yoruba with a passion with the kind of things they say about us (Yorubas). One example is this monkey chino11 posting above me. In fact, I would avoid all Igbos in the world. But it isn't so. So close that chapter.

Orikinla:

The Lion of Biafra did what he had to do then.
The Igbos lost the warm because they were betrayed by the Yorubas and saboteurs in the South-South.

Orikinla:

The Lion of Biafra did what he had to do then.
The Igbos lost the warm because they were betrayed by the Yorubas and saboteurs in the South-South.

ocelot2006:

Did someone say saboteurs in the south-south? Did we ask the igbos to drag the minorities into the seccession plan and biafra?

ocelot2006:

Did someone say saboteurs in the south-south? Did we ask the igbos to drag the minorities into the seccession plan and biafra?

ocelot2006:

Did someone say saboteurs in the south-south? Did we ask the igbos to drag the minorities into the seccession plan and biafra?

sheyguy:


[b]the ibos r king when it comes to blame-game of biafra crap. The north hates them, SS r sabotuers, the west betrayed them. [/b]They r just too good at this blame game of a thing, yet it was an ibo man who supported the idea of one nigeria first.