From Bukola Ojeme, Abuja

The dream of international recongnition for the aborted Biafra Republic has received a major setback with the United States’ denial at the weekend that it has accorded it diplomatic the status.

Also, the Nigerian security apparatus is said to be on the trial of some United States and European-based Igbo businessmen believed to be the major financial backbone of the resurgence of a Biafran Republic, aborted in 1970, by the surrender of the enclave.

Of recent, a group calling itself the Biafra Republic had reportedly opened a diplomatic mission in Washington, with the sole aim of gathering international support for the re-enthronement of the ideals of the secession movement of the Igbo nationality in 1966.

But a U.S embassy statement made available to The Comet in Abuja, said the U.S. government neither recognises the Biafra Republic nor has it accorded it a diplomatic status.

According to the statement "it has come to the attention of the government of the United States that an organisation has been publicly representing itself in the United States as the Embassy of Biafra".

This group does not have any official or diplomatic status in the United States, nor does the United States recognize any such group as representing any known government, despite its self designated status," the statement declared.

The U.S Government, the statement stressed therefore, "disapproved of such false misrepresentation as deliberately misleading".

The statement also affirmed the support of the U.S government for the present authority of the Federal Government and "our full recognition of the Obasanjo administration and our respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of The Republic of Nigeria".

The Comet has gathered that some prominent Igbo businessmen, among them a renowned multi-billionaire politician from Anambra State with vast business interested in the United States, are being sought by security agent in connection with their suppretend funding of the international activities of Biafra Republic.

Specifically, an intelligence source confided in The Comet "these individuals are being monitored in their respective countries of domicile by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), with a view to having more concrete details of their involvement with, particularly with respect to funding of the activities of the so- called Biafra Republic abroad".

"We are however aware of a few individuals, notably among whom is a businessman/politician with vest business interest in the United States as the linchpin of the major-financial backers of this organization", he said.

Also the source added "it has equally come to our notice that some foreign governments have been approached for financial assistance in respect to the so called struggle and not a few Igbo people living abroad has been contacted to make financial donations to the Biafran cause".

From my understanding, as it should be, is that the Biafra House is established as a cultural centre for Biafra. Every indigenous people have the entitlement to establish cultural centres in any country that they are domiciled. The establishment of a cultural centre does not necessarily need diplomatic approval. Cultural centre serves as avenues where indigenous people educate the world about their culture and issues that affect them. The Yoruba has a cultural centre in UK and elsewhere, so are numerous indigenous nations of the world. Thus, the Biafra cultural centre is not an embassy, and as such, has no need for diplomatic recognition. It is only when Biafra is actualized that her cultural centres can be converted into embassies, if need be. If not, fresh Biafra embassies can be established all over the world with the Biafra cultural centres serving as support centres. You need to get schooled on international relations and politics.

It is sheer nonsense to whine about Igbo businessmen funding and support of the Biafra Cultural centre. It is their duty to support the exhibition such cultural centre in a bid to educate the world about Biafra and her cultures. If the Biafran indigenes cannot fund and support the display of their culture, who can? The Biafrans are entitled to their cultural centres, it is quite legal, and the Nigerian govt has no legal recourse or ground for complaint.

What is an embarrassment is the ignorance of the representative of Nigerian govt in their thought that they have any ground to protest the establishment of a Biafra cultural centre by the Biafrans in any country of their choice. The Nigerian govt should endeavor to appoint representatives with working knowledge of international relations in accordance to UN provisions for indigenous peoples of the world and their rights.

Obviously, the Nigerians and ignorant Igbo-Nigerians are not in the know about the need for Biafra's cultural centre. It is now incumbent on the Biafra Foundation to embark on the education of these people that Biafra House is a cultural centre for the peoples of Biafra, and not an embassy.

They should also make the cultural centre a reflection of all the cultures, norms, and commonality of peoples of Biafra; and accessible to the public. That way, tourists and people from other nations can go in there and get educated about the Biafran peoples and cultures in pictures, arts, and in writings. Educational pamphlets should also be freely and abundantly available. I expect that it is a broad-based NGO operating with the principles of transparency and accountability. With these in place, negative propaganda from any avenue should not hold water.

I am personally surprised that Nigeria is paying so much attention to Biafra Republic when it has far more pressing issues to deal with. The politics of diversion and confusion will only deceive the uninformed.

I can't write much now, but I hope when the next big Igbo gathering holds in London/Europe, you all will find time to attend and participate.

Notwithstanding the evident inaccuracies and bogus essence of the report, for now, it is enough recognition of Biafra by the US that in the year 2001, 31 years after the Biafran war, the Nigerian State still needs US assurances about the diplomatic status of Biafra. No one has yet applied for diplomatic and consular relations between Biafra and the United States. Thus, the purported denial of US recognition is nonsensical since no request for recognition was made. The architects of Biafra House in Washington DC, were careful to describe it as Biafra House or Biafra cultural center (not Biafran Embassy).

As per the rest of the Comet report, it could have easily come from Adamu and his "Biafra Internet, Inc." tirade. Those who support Biafra have always been aware that they would become targets of the murderous Nigerian State. What is laughable is the implication that we ought to become afraid of the oxymoron, Nigerian Intelligence Agency. Nor did we expect a mouthpiece of the criminal regime in Abuja to resort to childishness of the kind carried in the Comet. Now, even my pet rock is underwhelmed.

Interestingly, this is the very first time that we are reading about "a group calling itself the Biafra Republic" and claiming it had opened a diplomatic mission in Washington. Also, there seems to be some effort to go looking for hapless Biafrans to persecute in BiafraNigeria. Methinks, the three US based organizations in this link are IN YOUR FACE in their attitude about Biafra Actualization. Go after them, if you dare

Let us not forget that the US does not officially recognize Taiwan, but guess who has an unofficial defence pact with Taipei that makes it impossible for China to invade?

Greetings, Rudolf!!!

As you can see we are all holding our breath waiting for the Nigerian security organisation alias Nazi SS to come after us!!!

What new can they have to offer us today?

Some more genocide on the menu, sir? But we have that every day sir.

Some more marginalisation and disenfranchisement?

A few more mass graves?

I also knew that whenever asked, the Americans would state the obligatory stance – we do not recognize any of such groups and we stand solidly behind the Nigerian government.

Those are normal statements in the tradition of world's diplomatic niceties.

What is not normal in the whole story is the insinuation that some businessmen who are backing these groups are being monitored by the Nigerian government. That in itself changes the whole dynamics. It draws the line and has the potential to accelerate the conflict timeline.

But my concern is why go through all these?

The decision by the outspoken proponents of the New Biafran movement to embrace propaganda without scrutiny is the reason why this distraction is taking place. Those guys could have left the opened Biafran House as it is - Biafran House.

But just like the aliments that afflict the rest of the Igbo society, they have to make loud noise about everything, belittle those on the other side and exaggerate what it is all about. That was how the Biafran House became an “Embassy”.

Nobody would have bothered if it had been left as Biafran House.

When Ikemba went home and was being interviewed about the “Biafran Embassy” in D.C, he said that it was just a house. Smart answer! He could have joined the overexcited bandwagon to call it an embassy. But the man knew - having fought real war and propaganda war, that calling it an embassy would not advance the cause but rather lead to unnecessary distractions.

See how this little news report seems to have pushed everyone in line. Those who used to call it an embassy have suddenly remembered what it is - Biafran House.

The next thing that will blow up in everyone’s face is this tendency to look at those who disagree with whatever position you have as enemies. It won’t be troubling if it ends there, but when languages are thrown around, languages that are threatening, you are obviously asking for more distractions.

Propaganda aids wars. But propaganda is not a substitute for war. Premature propaganda rather than aid the war tends to aid the enemies. Those in doubt should ask Saddam Hussein. If the mad man had waited another 10 years before his head got swollen, probably, he would have gotten what he wanted. Look at Osama bin Laden.

Unfortunately, history keeps repeating itself and as they said, each time it does, the price doubles.

Peace!!
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Biafra,

Joy said you should be ashamed of yourself. She did not say you should step out in public and embarrass the small pool of humanity that still has an iota of hope in the possibility of your redemption. Believe me, in spite of what you have heard, I am still part of that fast dwindling minority.

And by the way, my name is Rudolf, not Rodulf! Don't tell the world that in spite of the red nose jingles everywhere, this one, too, is beyond your reach.

Don't worry, Biafra, my brother. Joy did not say she will take away your four star rating if you don't throw up in public. Why panic, man! You are the Biafra we are talking about, ain't you? Don't you think (?) you are working too hard to earn what is already yours?

iti bolibo!

I may be iti bolibo to you, But I am one iti bolibo who is proud of my Igboness, and will not dinne with the enemies of ndigbo in order to be accepted.

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The decision by the outspoken proponents of the New Biafran movement to embrace propaganda without scrutiny is the reason why this distraction is taking place. Those guys could have left the opened Biafran House as it is - Biafran House.
But just like the aliments that afflict the rest of the Igbo society, they have to make loud noise about everything, belittle those on the other side and exaggerate what it is all about. That was how the Biafran House became an "Embassy".

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Rudolf, my brother, make you take am easy on Biafra because dem say sofri sofri catch monkey. Which one you dey now?

Rodulf,
U must be an idiot. Biafra said it right. I'll rather be an iti boribo than be an intelligent efulefu who has done nothing but waste his talents all in the name of worshipping the Hausa/Fulani lords. Shame on you. Big oaf.

Biafra hasn't asked America to support her and she is not owned by America.

It does not matter. Biafrans in the United States are entitled to build a house and call it " Buckingham Palace " if they so wish. Building a house in Washington and naming it " Embassy of Biafra " may pose political problems for the host country. I would not advise those in the struggle to name the building "Embassy of Biafra." Not yet. However, while a building does not an Embassy make, there is no legal impediment to referring to any building as the " Embassy of Biafra, " especially where the nomenclature does not seek to usurp the privileges of a bona fide Republic of Biafra. That is the legal basis for what is known today as Biafra House and may just as easily have been named the " Embassy of Biafra. " Thus, if a group of Biafrans had built a house in Washington, DC and named it " Embassy of Biafra, " that would be their right. It is their right because this is America and the law is clear on that.

However, the right of Biafrans to build a house and name it " Embassy of Biafra " is not the only issue involved here. This is what Rudolf has failed to comprehend as he gloats about imaginary persons whom he alleges have referred to "Biafra House" as "Biafran Embassy." It is itself worthy of further investigation that the criminal Abuja regime is looking for persons in BiafraNigeria and abroad who are said to be funding the Biafra struggle. At the very minimum, it shows that Obasanjo is looking for an excuse to launch Odi-style violent attacks on Igbo towns and villages, all in the guise of fighting the " Biafran insurgency. " But, this will be a colossal mistake on the part of the Abuja despot, and here is why.

There are many Igbos and Biafrans in Diaspora who are either undecided about the renewed struggle for Biafra or who though supportive of the Biafra struggle, are not currently active in the liberation movement. The knowledge that the ineffectual 'intelligence' apparatus of the failed nigerian state will be used to attempt to hound law-abiding Biafrans in the United States for acts done in the United States will bring an end to any indecision that currently exists on the parts of those undecided Biafrans. It is one thing for an Igbo to articulate an opposition to Biafra, it is quite another for him to support the use of the Nigerian Terrorist Agency to pursue persons in America who fund the movement to actualize Biafra. Everyone has a line that they will not cross in their desire to keep BiafraNigeria one. Even if only for Pavlovian reasons, these undecided Igbos will start to support the cause.

"America disowns Biafra", wrong title, wrong headline, journalism perjured and very misleading. America has never owned Biafra and frankly my friend, I don't give a damn.

QUESTION: Is Biafran House still lively in Washington? until then Biafra is still alive.

Hail Biafra

The current news of "America disowing Biafra" is simply cheap sensationalisation.
And when you look at the publicity, you can't help but think that the Biafran cause is perhaps receiving international publicity that it may otherwise have not received.
Either way, the Biafran cause has received much needed publicity and this in itself is not a bad thing at all.

Baifra House must come to represent the symbol of the struggle and resistance to the failed, corrupt, blood-thirsty and criminal Nigerian state. If this becomes true, then, Biafra House would have categorically fulfilled its mission.