The Republic of Biafra was a short-lived
secessionist state in southern
Nigeria. It existed from
May 30,
1967 to
January 15,
1970. The country was named after the
Bight of Biafra, the bay of the
Atlantic to its south.Biafra was recognized by a small number of countries during its existence:
Gabon,
Haiti,
Côte d'Ivoire,
Tanzania and
Zambia. Despite a lack of official recognition, other nations provided assistance to Biafra.
France,
Rhodesia and
South Africa provided covert military assistance. The aid of
Portugal proved to be crucial to the republic's survival. Portugal's
São Tomé and Príncipe, a pair of islands south of Biafra, became a center of humanitarian relief efforts; Biafran currency was printed in
Lisbon, which was also the location of Biafra's major overseas office.
Israel also gave Biafra arms that it captured in the 1967
Six-Day War, although that same conflict ruled out further assistance. In contrast, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union provided military support for Nigeria, and the
war of Biafran secession ended in a humanitarian catastrophe as Nigerian blockades stopped supplies from entering the region. Hundreds of thousands – perhaps millions – of people died in the resulting famine.
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