Biafra’s March Towards Independence Gains momentum.

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 The struggle for independence of Biafra, a West African region currently under Nigerian control, is far from over.

Author:Dexter Cooke

Rviewer:Hajra Shannon




The struggle for independence of Biafra, a West African region currently under Nigerian control, is far from over. While the region’s status as an independent state lasted only from 1967 to 1970, being reabsorbed into Nigeria at the conclusion of the Nigerian Civil War, Biafrans have never stopped yearning for the freedom of their homeland. In fact, the momentum of the Biafran independence movement is stronger than ever, with an ongoing referendum for self-determination that has gathered more than 50 million affirmative votes, according to Simon Njoku Ekpa, Prime Minister of Biafra Republic Government in Exile(BRGIE), and the de-facto government in the Biafran homeland.
The final results of the referendum will be announced at a convention organized by the BRGIE, which will be held in Lahti, Finland, from November 29 to December 3, 2024. The referendum’s question, which Biafran people, both in their homeland and in diaspora, are voting on is “Do you approve this proposed declaration of the restoration of the independent state of Biafra, to reestablish the lost sovereign nation of Biafra from Nigeria, which will be called the United States of Biafra (USB)?” This referendum is being observed by different partiesaround the world due to its implications on global geopolitical issues.
In the first round of voting, which began in February 2024, a total of around 30 million votes were tallied. The second round brought that figure to 40 million, while the third round, which will run until November, has amassed over 50 million votes agreeing for the creation of an independent Biafran state, Ekpa says. The government-in-exile says that 50 million votes is an impressive turnout, as the total Biafran population is estimated at around 70 to 80 million. Unfortunately, there is little information about the true population size of Biafra, as the region has been historically disenfranchised by the Nigerian census in the aftermath of the civil war. There is also a large diaspora population of Biafrans due to the persecution of the Igbo people, Biafra’s dominant ethnic group and the third largest in Nigeria. “Currently, the Biafra region is under siege from the Nigerian state, where there are forceful disappearances of innocent Biafrans, disruptive checkpoints, and ongoing persecutions,” adds Prime Minister Ekpa.
Following the formal announcement of the results, the BRGIE will produce a legal document that codifies the referendum’s results, indicates the Biafran people’s consent for the BRGIE to continue diplomatic engagement on their behalf, and serves as a declaration of the restoration of an independent state of Biafra.
According to Ekpa, the BRGIE is taking a three-pronged multidimensional approach towards Biafran independence. The first approach is political, via the referendum, which seeks to exercise the Biafran people’s right to self-determination and their recognition of the BRGIE. The second approach is diplomatic, where the BRGIE builds relationships with various international entities with the goal of recognizing an independent Biafran state. The BRGIE has recently partnered with a lobbying firmin Washington, DC, as well as met with several members of the US Congress. With these relationships, Ekpa aims to educate global decision-makers about the importance of supporting an independent Biafra as a solution to stability in Africa’s Sahel region. With the US changing administrations next year, it’s important to raise the Biafran issue due to wider implications in the regionand throughout emerging Africa.
Meanwhile, the third approach is self-defense, which protects Biafrans in the homeland from persecution and terrorist attacks launched by various groups that seek to block the independence movement.
“Even before and after the civil war, the Igbo people have been marginalizedin Nigeria, and there has never been an Igbo president since the end of the war in 1970, despite being the third-largest ethnic group in the country,” Ekpa says. “People in Biafra do not feel safe, and incidents of violence in the region continue to rise. Through the referendum, the Biafran people are exercising their right to self-determination. With the international recognition of an independent Biafran state that will cater to the needs of its people, there will be a change for stability and prosperity in the region, allowing the people of the United States of Biafra and Nigeria to live in peace.

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