Introduction
On May 30, 1967, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra as a breakaway, independent country from the state of Nigeria. This was the culmination of one and a half years of civil and political turmoil following two military coups in January and July1966.
In the aftermath of the July coup, there was a breakdown of law and order leading to the profiling, mass killing and expulsion of Igbos and other peoples of Southeast Nigerian origin from Northern and Western parts of the country. This was led by military officers of Northern extraction. They accused their colleagues from the Eastern Region of complicity in the coup of January 1966 in which mostly Northern and Western political leaders and officers were killed.
For ten months, the Federal Military Government under Colonel (later, General) Yakubu Gowon failed to stop the bloodletting which had spilled into the streets. Yet, curiously, when Biafra declared a secession, the Federal authorities announced that “to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.” What followed was 30 months of unprecedented carnage.
Today, 56 years on, controversy still surrounds the events, personalities and motives behind that war. To facilitate the emergence of truth and the process of healing, The Renaissance Online Magazine begins a serialization of accounts from different authors, writers and perspectives on the war. We call it, Civil War Reflections: Reliving the Tragedies of Biafra.” It will run on our pages from May 30 to June 30, 2023.
At the Editorial Board of The Renaissance Online Magazine, we believe that mistakes were made on all sides of the conflict which key political and military figures have failed to admit. By retelling the stories, we hope to give today’s Nigerians the benefit of hindsight and independent judgement. In particular, we hope that younger Nigerians, especially those born after the hostilities ended in 1970, can draw their own conclusions and chart a new course for the country without the burdens of guilt, shame and vested interests. Happy reading.
Watch out for the first installment of CIVIL WAR REFLECTIONS, starting May 30, 2023
