/ 28 January 2008

Call for recognition of independent state of Biafra

A protest held by the Biafra National Congress outside the Nigerian high commission in Pretoria on Monday called for the for ''immediate and unconditional'' release of Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra. This was in addition to a call for recognition of the independent state of Biafra.

A protest held by the Biafra National Congress (BNC) outside the Nigerian high commission in Pretoria on Monday called for the for ”immediate and unconditional” release of Ralph Uwazuruike, leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob). This was in addition to a call for recognition of the independent state of Biafra and for the release of all Biafran politicians and activists held in Nigerian prisons.

A memorandum was handed over to a Nigerian high commission representative. The memorandum was signed by representatives of the BNC, as well by representatives of Massob and the Biafra Provisional Government.

The Republic of Biafra was a small independent state to the south of Nigeria, which existed for a mere three years — from 1967 to 1970 — before it was re-incorporated into Nigeria.

Biafrans residing in South Africa have expressed their solidarity with those Biafrans in Nigerian jails and have demanded that the Nigerian government stops ”maiming, killing and oppressing the Biafran people”. They have further resolved to commit themselves to the actualisation of Biafra as an independent state.