RUSSIA AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR 1967-1970

SUMMARY

The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, which took place between July 6, 1967 and January 13, 1970, and was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra. This attempt led the young nation into a civil war which resulted in estimated casualties of one million. During the conflict, both the then Federal Military Government of Nigeria and the defunct Biafran regime had the desire to secure diplomatic support as well as military assistance from both the West and the East. This desire coupled with other reasons attracted many countries to declare support and assistance to either the Government of Nigeria or the Biafran regime. One of the greatest lessons the civil war had on Nigeria was the futility of relying almost exclusively on its traditional friends and allies in the west, especially Britain and the US. Right from independence, Nigeria had come to see Britain as an external friend. Nothing encapsulates this notion better than Sir Abubakar’s independence speech in which, he spoke of the British “whom we know … always as friends”.¹. Nigeria was rapidly Pro-British in its foreign policy orientations. It was with this confidence that the British were “always friends” that the Nigeria Federal authority approached the British for military assistance to prosecute the war. Nigeria’s expectation and request was turned down.² Nigeria learnt the first significant lesson that in foreign relations, there are no permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests. In the face of this unbelievable and painful British disappointment, Nigeria’s turn to America also proved unproductive. Embattled at home and betrayed by her traditional friends in the west at a most crucial hour of need, the Federal government had to approach the Soviets for military assistance. This move was really a significant one compelled by the circumstances of the times.