Biafran Armed Forces. The Nigerian Civil War 6 July β 15 January , also known as the Biafran War , was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra , a secessionist state which had declared its independence from Nigeria in Immediate causes of the war in included a military coup , a counter-coup , and anti-Igbo pogroms in the Northern Region.
Within a year, Nigerian government troops surrounded Biafra, and captured coastal oil facilities and the city of Port Harcourt. A blockade was imposed as a deliberate policy during the ensuing stalemate which led to the mass starvation of Biafran civilians. Alongside the concurrent Vietnam War , the Nigerian Civil War was one of the first wars in human history to be televised to a global audience.
Biafra received international humanitarian aid from civilians during the Biafran airlift , an event which inspired the formation of Doctors Without Borders following the end of the war.
The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were the main supporters of the Nigerian government, while France , Israel after , and some other countries supported Biafra. The war highlighted challenges within pan-Africanism during the early stages of African independence from colonial rule, suggesting that the diverse nature of African people may present obstacles to achieving common unity.
Additionally, it shed light on initial shortcomings within the Organization of African Unity. This civil war can be connected to the colonial amalgamation in of the British Northern Protectorate , Lagos Colony , and Southern Nigeria Protectorate , which was intended for better administration due to the proximity of these protectorates.
