Nigeria

Nigeria: New Call for Biafra

Again, there are bloody conflicts and Calls for independence of the States of the former Biafra. A review of the Unabhängigkeitskriegs in the 1960s, still stands.

Protesters demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu

The people in Port Harcourt, the city is completely in Nigeria’s South-East, are in turmoil. “We must again be allowed to be who we are. We are tired of being who we are not,” says activist Hilda Dokubo. “We can’t pretend everything would be fine.”

The conflict is old – and yet very present. 1967 called Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Governor in Ostnigeria, the independence of resource-rich part of the land in the South-East, and gave him the name of Biafra. The self-proclaimed Republic, in the predominantly Christian Igbo life, it has been only a handful of States recognized.

After three years of bloody confrontations had Ojukwu to surrender, and Biafra was once again in Nigeria, incorporated. The biafran conflict made the world, therefore the headlines, because Nigeria is the Region isolated, and thus a famine around. At least a Million people died.

The pictures of the starving people in Biafra were in the 60s around the world

Nearly fifties years later halls again, Calls for independence through the streets of Port Harcourt. The activists call for a new edition of Biafras in the old borders – a requirement for the government in Abuja is little understanding of the applied. She plays as hard: Since October last year, sits Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the independence movement of Independent people of Biafras (IPOB), in security preservation. On that Monday, now want to canoe in Abuja again be consulted.

Charge: “Treason”

Canoe, of the radio transmitter to the Radio Biafra operates, have from the United Kingdom over the Radio to the fork is called, is a reproach. It also accused him, the Prosecutor’s office, an illegal Association to conduct and illegally weapons to possess. Canoe pleaded last week to the “not guilty”.

Meanwhile, the contentious situation in his home region. During protests last Monday were separatists, the canoes release demanded, with police officers clashed. According to the activists, there were eight Dead people after the protests in Aba City. The police denies this.

The separatists have again feed

In Port Harcourt, said the Deputy police chief Usman Gwari in connection with the protests of high treason: “We will not just sit back and watch as someone is breaking the law. We will not allow the separatist movements do something, we know that it is wrong.”

Public discussion is required

The Africa expert, society for threatened peoples, Ulrich Delius, criticized the attitude of the government and the security forces: “We consider it problematic, the discussions and protests about the future of Biafras only as a security issue to see, and leading actors such as canoe behind lock and key bring,” Delius in the DW interview. “We see it as an attempt, the public discussion to suppress. This is a rule of law is unworthy.”

In the Region, the separatist Biafra quote, life predominantly Christian Igbo

A political review of events to the independence Biafras in the 1960s
stand still,
says Delius. If the canoe remained in prison a place to stay, will the cycle of violence continues to fuel fears of human rights activists. “That may not be in the interest of Nigeria.”

The Ghost of the past

In Nigeria’s South-East divides the project Biafra the population. In addition to the activists, there are many people, the fear of new violence. The protesters wanted to provoke, says the Unabhängigkeitsgegner Naseer Uho in Port Harcourt. He did not believe that the whole Southeast for a state of Biafra pronounce would. “That would mean that we have nothing from the last attempt of Biafra to establish, to have learned.”

In Collaboration With: Muhammad Bello, Sam Olukoya