Bloodshed in Biafra

[rowan]

Nigerian soldiers have apparently killed up to 150 peaceful demonstrators in the southeastern state of Biafra, while detaining hundreds more and carrying out torture, according to Amnesty International. Biafra was the scene of a major genocide in the late 1960s with as many as two million deaths from starvation, in addition to a total of around 100 K military deaths during the 3-year-long conflict. This followed an attempt by Biafra to break away from Nigeria after a military coup in 1966. The conflict was prolonged by at least a year as foreign powers (notably the US, UK, USSR, France & Israel) backed opposing sides and supplied them with weapons. The basis of the conflicts was an amalgamation of the Muslim-dominated north with the Christian dominated south under British rule, which ignored not only the religious divide but tribal boundaries. Tensions were further exacerbated by the discovery of oil, and although Nigeria gained its independence in 1960 foreign companies have retained a stranglehold on the oil industry, while the political scene has been dominated by coups and assassinations. Meanwhile President Muhammad Buhari has disappointed many since taking over from the ineffectual, corruption-plagued Goodluck Jonathan last year, failing to investigate another alleged massacre by troops at the end of last year, along with thousands of ongoing detentions. A further 30 civilians were killed at the hands of soldiers in May this year while commemorating the genocide, & Biafran rights leader Nnamdi Kanu has been under arrest for over a year.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wir ... s-43750374

For those unacquainted with the awarded-winning novel 'Half of a Yellow Sun' by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, published in 2006 and based on the Biafra genocide, this (fairly average) film version may provide a little insight:

http://putlockers.ch/watch-half-of-a-ye ... ocker.html

[rowan]

Wow, and I had to read about this in the Samoan observer...

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — A Nigerian air force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and aid workers, a Borno state official said.

http://sobserver.ws/en/18_01_2017/world ... an-100.htm