Battle Of Biafra

In this intriguing new book, Onianwa Oluchukwu Ignatus examines the role of British intelligence in the Nigerian Civil War. British intelligence operations were highly successful due to a decentralized approach. Britain maintained regular supplies of arms to Nigeria despite considerable opposition at home. Thus, up-to-date information was necessary to determine the military behavior of both sides and the practicalities of arms supply for Nigeria. The influx of external forces into the civil war and increased military supplies from the Soviet Union and France also influenced British intelligence assessments. The book's central argument or, rather, its historical lesson, is that intelligence operations must have a goal and must allow for wider analysis, maximum objectivity, and a diversity of opinion.

A retired general of the Biafran Army presents a post-mortem account of the events of the Nigerian civil war, 1966-70. He attempts to explain dispassionately why army officers toppled the civil government in the cause of stability, and the considerable civilian support they received; and the ensuing riots and counter-coup, in the name of reunification, which led to a civil war claiming some three million lives. He presents eye-witness accounts, and from an insider-perspective tells the story of how and why the Biafrans fought the war for almost three years under blockade and in isolation from the outside world, aiming to rectify much perceived misinformation about the war published outside Africa.

The Biafran War was truly a 'brother's war', which saw family and friends on opposing sides. When the breakaway province of Biafra tried to secede from Nigeria in 1967, the result was a civil war of terrifying intensity. The minority Igbo people stood little chance of victory in the face of the overwhelming superiority of the Nigerian army in the north. Envisaged initially as a short conflict, the war confounded all expectations, stretching on for almost three years - the Igbo had far inferior resources and fewer weapons, yet they were determined to defend their right to independence. This book answers many of the most important questions surrounding the conflict - including how such an avoidable conflict came about, why the war became so drawn-out and how the leadership of the opposing Generals - Ojukwu, who led the Biafran revolt, and Gowon, who was President of the Nigerian Federation - defined the conflict. In doing so, Michael Gould offers a fascinating and comprehensive portrait of one of the defining conflicts of modern Africa.

Examining the complexity of the nature and outcome of the Biafra War, Africa's bloodiest war of the 20th century, this text considers the alienation imperative of the Western-created post-colonial state. The author argues that this state is historically flawed and does not serve the interests of the African peoples. He contends instead that a post-post-colonial state evolving from internal African conditions and priorities offers Africa the way forward to avoid horrendous conflicts such as Biafra.

A Biafran Soldiers Survival from the Jaws of Death: Nigeria-Biafran Civil War is a reflection of a personal experience in the battlefield and an insight about certain activities in some war theaters. Attempt was made to illustrate how Nigeria waged a war of genocide against Eastern Nigeria especially the Igbos (Biafrans). This book went further to show that the nonchalant attitude of many African countries toward the Nigeria-Biafra conflict later metamorphosed in various conflicts in many parts of Africa. The growth of Africa has been retarded by similar wars in Angola, Congo, Mozambique, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Rwanda. One of the objectives of this book is to lay the facts and was neither intended to evoke sentiments nor to cast aspersion on any group or individuals. It is better to learn from our past mistakes for the future progress and unity of Nigeria. Although the war has ended, some of the factors that contributed to the causes of the civil war are still there. In order to keep Nigeria as one indivisible entity, there should be concrete efforts to ensure that human rights of all Nigerians are fully protected.

The book is aimed at students and scholars of conflict, Africa, ethnic politics, and religion. It may also appeal to religious and political leaders. It proposes a new perspective on how ethnicity and religion shape political outcomes and violence in Africa, adding psychological elements to standard political science arguments.

An accessible study demonstrating how the conditions of the Nigerian Civil War paved the way for the country's long experience of crime.

The Brothers' War: Biafra and Nigeria was first published in 1972. In the UK it had the title The Nigerian Civil War. That is what it is about. In the early 1960s Nigeria looked set to be the major black African country. It seemed to be immune from the internecine struggles that bedevilled so many of the African states. The illusion of stability was shattered at the beginning of 1966. During the next four years the country suffered two bloody coups, a series of appalling massacres, and a protracted and savage civil war which claimed a million lives. This was a civil war on a par with the American and Spanish civil wars and like both those it was a desperate affair, fought to the bitter end by determined people who shared a common past and a common language. John de St. Jorre covered the conflict for the Observer. He was one of the few people to keep in touch with both sides. His account was objective and remains definitive.