Nigeria: 50th anniversary of the Biafra declaration of independence May 30

Event

On Tuesday, May 30, the southeastern region of Biafra celebrates the 50th anniversary of its unilateral declaration of independence, which plunged the country into a three-year civil war in 1967, amid renewed tensions and fresh calls for a separate state. Several pro-Biafra activist groups are still operating in the region, including some that have recently been created such as the Movement for Biafran in Nigeria (MOBIN). These groups are currently renewing their call for a referendum on self-determination, accusing President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the north, of violently repressing their freedom of expression and marginalizing their community.

Various movements - including the Biafran Independence Movement (BIM), the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) - have called for a “sit-at-home” protest in the region on May 30. Nigeria's security forces are reportedly on high alert due to fears of violent unrest. Increased security measures are in place, especially in Aba and Onitsha, where May 30 protests last year turned violent, with 60 deaths reported. 

Context

The so-called Biafra region includes various southeastern (Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi) and southern states (Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River)

The Igbos, a mostly-Christian tribe that represents most of the southeastern population, seceded on May 30, 1967, to establish the Republic of Biafra, sparking a brutal civil war that caused an estimated million deaths - many of them caused by starvation after the region was blockaded. In this oil-rich region, the Igbos were afraid that a new state structure adopted in May 1967 (a federation of 12 states) would deprive them of valuable natural resources, to be funneled to the Hausa and Fulani tribes, the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. The rebellion was put down by the much stronger federal army.

Igbo frustrations have grown in the decades since. Most Igbos believe that since the end of the civil war and prior to the arrival of President Goodluck Jonathan (a Christian from the South) in 2010, the central government deliberately pursued a discriminatory policy aimed at marginalizing them. The arrival of Buhari to the presidency triggered fears that Igbo communities would be as marginalized as they were before Jonathan’s election.

A wave of relatively peaceful protests started in 2015 over the lack of infrastructure, the poor distribution of oil revenues, and low representation in government posts. The situation started to intensify following the arrest and prosecution in October 2015 of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB and director of Radio Biafra, an unlicensed radio station broadcasting from London accused of spreading hate and violence. Since his arrest, protesters demanding both his release and an independent Biafra have repeatedly clashed with security forces.  According to the NGO Amnesty International, more than 150 Igbos were killed by the security forces in 2016. The release of Kanu in May 2017 is likely to trigger more tensions in the region as he is reportedly determined to pursue the Igbo struggle.

Advice

Individuals in the Biafra region are advised to monitor the situation and to avoid any demonstrations that may occur.

The security environment in Nigeria is complex and is particularly concerning in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region, part of the Biafra region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.