Nigerian Civil War
Part of Cold War and Decolonisation of Africa
Biafra independent state map-en.svg
The de facto independent Republic of Biafra in June 1967
Date6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970
(2 years, 6 months, 1 week and 2 days)
Location
Nigeria
ResultNigerian victory:
  • Dissolution of the Republic of Biafra
  • Rise and development of Igbo nationalism
Territorial
changes
Biafra rejoins Nigeria
Belligerents
 Nigeria
EgyptEgypt(air support)

 Biafra
Republic of Benin (1967)Republic of Benin (1967)

  • Foreign mercenaries
Supported by:
  •  United Kingdom
  •  Soviet Union
  •  United States
  •  Israel
  •  Bulgaria
  • Ethiopian EmpireEthiopia
  •  Senegal
  • SomaliaSomalia
  • Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
  •  Cameroon
  •  Niger
    Congo-Kinshasa
  •  Algeria
  •  Syria
  •  Saudi Arabia
Supported by:
  • FranceFrance
  •  China
  • GermanyWest Germany
  • IsraelIsrael (after 1968)
  • PortugalPortugal
  • SpainSpain
  •   Vatican City (alleged)
  •  South Africa
  •  Rhodesia
  • HaitiHaiti
  •  Gabon
  •  Ivory Coast
  •  Tanzania
  •  Czechoslovakia (until 1968)
Commanders and leaders
NigeriaHassan Katsina
NigeriaMohammed Shuwa
NigeriaBenjamin Adekunle
NigeriaTheophilus Danjuma
NigeriaShehu Musa Yar'Adua
NigeriaYakubu Gowon
NigeriaMurtala Mohammed
NigeriaOlusegun Obasanjo
NigeriaMuhammadu Buhari
NigeriaIbrahim Babangida (WIA)
NigeriaSani Abacha
Republic of BiafraOdumegwu Ojukwu
Republic of BiafraPhilip Effiong
Republic of BiafraAlbert Okonkwo
Republic of BiafraVictor Banjo Skull and crossbones.svg
Republic of BiafraOgbugo Kalu
Republic of BiafraJoseph Achuzie
Republic of BiafraTimothy Onwuatuegwu 
Republic of BiafraHumphrey Chukwuka
Foreign mercenaries:
Republic of BiafraRolf Steiner (German)
Republic of BiafraJan Zumbach (Polish)
Republic of BiafraLynn Garrison (Canadian)
Republic of BiafraTaffy Williams (Welsh)
Republic of BiafraMarc Goosens (Belgian)
Republic of BiafraCarl Gustaf von Rosen (Swedish)
Republic of BiafraRoger Faulques (French)
Strength
Nigerian Armed Forces:
85,000–150,000
(1967)
(Possibly 100,000)
250,000
(1968)
200,000–250,000
(1970)
Republic of BiafraBiafran Armed Forces:
10,000–100,000
(1967)
(Possibly 30,000)
110,000
(1968)
50,000–100,000
(1970)
Casualties and losses

Military killed:45,000–100,000 killed


2 million Biafran civilians perished from famine during the Nigerian naval blockade


Displaced:2,000,000–4,500,000


Refugees:500,000–3,000,000[citation needed]