Biafra War Oral History Project

BACKGROUND In 1967, Nigeria was plunged into a civil with the breakaway Republic of Biafra. The Nigeria-Biafra war (1966-1970) was a watershed in Africa’s post-colonial history. The war re-defined interethnic relations and continues to shape post-war politics in Nigeria. The war also represented the first conflict that drew significant international attention from the major Western powers in the post-world war period. The war which lasted for nearly three years has been described as the first-black-on- black genocide in post-colonial Africa. The Igbo genocide, like the others that have occurred in modern times, reflect the historical conflagration of human bestiality and resonate the Nazi trivialisation of Jewish personhood – in shape, though not in magnitude. In all these cases, genocide (or the Holocaust in the case of the Jews) became the continuation of ethnic/racial politics by other means. The Jewish consciousness of the decimation of their race under the Nazis has galvanised a massive international hunt for and punishment of former Nazi leaders. But more importantly, it has led to the emergence of the “Never Again” consciousness of the global Jewish politics. Similarly, Armenians (though to a lesser degree) have been proactive in documenting and using the historical evidence of their own genocide treatment by Turkey in negotiating their position in regional and international politics. However, unlike the Jews and the Armenians, Igbo scholars, activists, and community leaders appear reluctant or indifferent to a systematic study, documentation, and use of their genocidal experience in Nigeria in negotiating their participation in the contemporary Nigerian project. The events that led to the war and its legacy have their roots in the historical conditions of Nigeria. The British pitched Nigeria’s various ethnic groups against one another with the amalgamation of northern and southern parts of the territory in 1914. British policy created what R. T. Akinyele describes as a greater “awareness of the principle of self-determination,” especially among the three largest but divergent ethnic groups (Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa-Fulani). Nigeria’s recurring political problems began soon after independence in October 1960 despite attempts to hold the country together by glossing over the inherent contradictions in the political system. The pluralistic structure of post-colonial Nigeria and the inherent suspicious existing among ethnic group led to perpetual disagreement and enhanced ethnic tensions. The new political elite relied on ethno-centric systems of loyalty which made national integration regional and national difficult. It also posed challenges at regional levels as shown during the Western Regions political crisis when contending political interests sought to establish or expand their support base. These competing interests clearly affected the stability of the nations and their constituent parts. The most dramatic outcome was the civil war in Nigeria from 1966-1970s. AIM The history of the war, especially the Biafra side, is not complete without the inclusion of the voices of those who were in some ways involved in it as combatants or non-combatants. To that end, the mission of The Biafra War Oral History Project (The Igbo Genocide Project, (BWOHP) is to collect and create a more complete record of the Biafra war by preserving, through recorded interviews, the recollections and experiences of all who were affected by the war. These stories, which will cover different aspects of the war, will tell about daily life, battle experiences, and much more. In addition, those civilians who were actively involved in supporting the war effort (such as war industry workers, land army workers, medical volunteers, etc.) are also invited to share their valuable stories. BOHP an undertaking of the Igbo League in association with Marquette University’, will be the first online digital archive of oral histories of the Biafra war of independence/the Igbo genocide. The Project will record and preserve oral history interviews with those who lived through the Biafra war/genocide and use digital archiving technology to create a website which will preserve the narratives, memoirs, and memory of those who survived the war. Our purpose is to record a history of the Biafra-Nigeria war within the Igbo communities and to systematically document the “Igbo Genocide” through the BWOHP. Through these oral history interviews, we hope to capture the personal stories of our interviewees, in different contexts and at different historical times, to their perspectives on the current state of the Igbo in contemporary Nigeria. Throughout, we also want to capture individual experiences and perspectives and emphasize the unique perspectives each participant may offer on the war or on the Igbo experience in general. There is a strong intergenerational component to this project. Some young Igbos still struggle to maintain an active and committed memory of the Igbo collective experience in Nigeria. They are interested in understanding the Igbo experiences but there is not much commitment on the part of the older generation to pass on these memories to the younger generation. The oral accounts of the older members of the Igbo nation will be important to the younger members in their attempt to make connections with the past. This project will pass on this history to the next generation. As we complete the interviews, we will add them to a digital archive that we propose to house at Marquette University Raynor Library which already has a digital archive collection of different projects. This will ensure continued public access to The Biafra War Oral History Project (The Igbo Genocide Project) collection. Through media such as books, blogs, and documentaries, many Igbos will have the opportunity to share their experiences and outlook. The Biafra War Oral History Project (The Igbo Genocide Project) offers outlet for different categories of individuals: the voices, stories, and opinions of ordinary people who experienced the genocidal war against the Igbo and to make them available to future generations. WHY AN ORAL HISTORY PROJECT In building an oral history collection of the Nigeria-Biafra war and Igbo genocide in Nigeria, we hope to contribute the stories and personal experiences of our interviewees to the historical record of the Nigeria-Biafra war and in the history of the Igbo experience in Nigeria. As we record the present and recent history, however, we must constantly look to the long history of the Igbo people in Nigeria to frame our current project and the contribution it will make. The Igbo experience in Nigeria evinces both the grim side of postcolonial politics in Nigeria, particularly the horrors of ethnic politics, civil war, and the Igbo example of perseverance and human potential to overcome dreadful conditions of such magnitude some of which emanated from the enduring colonial legacies. Our collection of oral histories with survivors of the Biafra war and genocide will constitute a diverse set of voices in an effort to make the history of the Igbo experience, ethnic relations, Igbo survival and resilience more dynamic and well rounded. In addition to recording history, our interviews will also document present attitudes and issues in order to create a comprehensive picture of the narrator and the history of Nigeria. The oral history of the Biafra War and Igbo genocide will be more than an interview or a life history; it is a conscious contribution to the historical record, a collaborative “document” between an interviewer and a narrator in an effort to preserve, recollect and reflect on a moment in history. Although much has been written about the Nigeria-Biafra War, little work has been done that reflects the perspective of ordinary people who experienced the war as combatants or civilians. Most of what has been written from within Nigeria is dominated by the accounts of the major actors and generals who conducted the war. Moreover, the systematic attempt to “forget” the war at several levels—by the state for political reasons and by individuals mainly for psychological reasons and the desire to “move on”—has limited post-war discussions of the war and the experiences of those who endured the trauma of the war.