May
30

Today in African History

Historical Events

  • 1902 - 523 people die in the Black concentration camps of the Second Anglo-Boer War.
  • 1896 - Construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway begins at the port of Mombasa.
  • 1919 - Belgium and Britain sign the Anglo-Belgium agreement: Belgium gains Rwanda and Burundi, while Britain takes control of German East Africa (Tanzania).
  • 1966 - President Mobutu Sese Seko publicly executes Évariste Kimba, former Congolese Prime Minister, and other politicians in Kinshasa.
  • 1967 – The Nigerian Eastern Region declares independence as the Republic of Biafra, sparking a civil war.
  • 2012 – Former Liberian president Charles Taylor is sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
  • 2013 – Nigeria passes a law banning same-sex marriage.

Discover Africa's Rich Past

The Biafran Declaration

The Biafran Declaration

In 1967, the Nigerian Eastern Region made a bold move by declaring its independence as the Republic of Biafra, triggering a devastating civil war. This declaration stemmed from deep-rooted ethnic and political tensions that had been brewing within Nigeria. The newly proclaimed Republic of Biafra sought to establish a separate nation for the predominantly Igbo ethnic group, who felt marginalized and oppressed within the Nigerian federation.
The declaration of independence ignited a violent conflict between the secessionist Biafran forces and the Nigerian government. The civil war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970, resulted in immense human suffering and loss of life. The Biafran region faced severe economic and humanitarian challenges, including food shortages and famine, as the Nigerian government imposed a blockade to weaken the secessionist forces.

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