SIMILITUDES IN THE BIAFRAN AND AMBAZONIAN AGITATIONS, 1967–2022

Abstract

Secessionist agitations have occurred in post-colonial Africa, often arising from the artificial boundaries imposed during the colonial era, which merged disparate ethnic groups into single political entities. Both Biafra (in Nigeria) and Ambazonia (in Cameroon) initiated unsuccessful bids for independence, driven by profound disillusionment among their indigenous populations. This disaffection was largely rooted in the pogroms experienced by Biafrans in northern Nigeria and the systematic political and socio-economic marginalisation of Ambazonians by the Cameroonian state. This study comparatively analyses these two movements, exploring their similarities, and examining how the responses of the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments have affected national integration efforts in both countries. Utilising data derived from secondary and tertiary materials, supplemented by the researcher's observations, the study reveals several key findings. In both cases, secessionist agitations were fundamentally linked to sustained political and economic marginalisation. A notable shared post-conflict strategy has been the adoption of "sit-at-home" protests as a major form of civil disobedience. Furthermore, the contiguous territories of both movements suffered extensive human and infrastructural losses as epicenters of their respective conflicts and share common ethnic groups across the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The study recommends that the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments should strengthen bilateral cooperation to manage separatist activities, implement more inclusive and participatory governance policies, and as a last resort, consider organising a referendum for these marginalised groups in question.