The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970; also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War or the Biafran War) was a civil war fought between the government of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967. Nigeria was led by General Yakubu Gowon, while Biafra was led by Lt. Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu.[40] Biafra represented the nationalist aspirations of the Igbo ethnic group, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the federal government dominated by the interests of the Muslim Hausa-Fulanis of northern Nigeria.[41] The conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded Britain's formal decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included ethno-religious violence and anti-Igbo pogroms in Northern Nigeria,[42] a military coup, a counter-coup and persecution of Igbo living in Northern Nigeria. Control over the lucrative oil production in the Niger Delta also played a vital strategic role.[43] Within a year, the Federal Government troops surrounded Biafra, captured coastal oil facilities and the city of Port Harcourt. A blockade was imposed as a deliberate policy during the ensuing stalemate which led to mass starvation.[44] During the two and half years of the war, there were about 100,000 overall military casualties, while between 500,000 and 2 million Biafran civilians died of starvation.[45] In mid-1968, images of malnourished and starving Biafran children saturated the mass media of Western countries. The plight of the starving Biafrans became a cause célèbre in foreign countries, enabling a significant rise in the funding and prominence of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were the main supporters of the Nigerian government, while France, Israel and some other countries supported Biafra.[46] This conflict was one of the few during the Cold War where the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union supported the same party. While France and Israel (after 1968) were on the Biafran side rather than Nigeria.

Nkhondo Yapachiweniweni ku Nigeria (6 Julayi 1967 - 15 Januware 1970; yomwe imadziwikanso kuti Nkhondo yaku Nigerian-Biafra kapena Nkhondo ya Biafra) inali nkhondo yapachiweniweni yomwe idamenyedwa pakati pa boma la Nigeria ndi Republic of Biafra, dziko lodzipatula lomwe lidalengeza ufulu wake. kuchokera ku Nigeria mu 1967. Nigeria inatsogoleredwa ndi General Yakubu Gowon, pamene Biafra inatsogoleredwa ndi Lt. Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu.[40] Biafra ankaimira zofuna za mtundu wa anthu a mtundu wa Igbo, omwe utsogoleri wawo unkaganiza kuti sangathenso kukhala limodzi ndi boma lolamulira zofuna za Asilamu a Hausa-Fulani a kumpoto kwa Nigeria. [41] Mkanganowu unadza chifukwa cha mikangano ya ndale, zachuma, zamitundu, zachikhalidwe ndi zachipembedzo zomwe zidatsogolera ku Britain kuchotsedwa kwa dziko la Nigeria kuchokera ku 1960 mpaka 1963. Zomwe zinayambitsa nkhondoyi mu 1966 zinaphatikizapo ziwawa za ethno-chipembedzo ndi zotsutsana ndi Igbo ku Northern Nigeria,[42] kulanda boma, kulanda boma ndi kuzunza Igbo okhala kumpoto kwa Nigeria. Kuwongolera kachulukidwe ka mafuta ku Niger Delta kunathandizanso kwambiri. [43] Pasanathe chaka chimodzi, asilikali a Boma la Federal anazungulira Biafra, kulanda malo opangira mafuta a m’mphepete mwa nyanja ndi mzinda wa Port Harcourt.Kutsekereza kunakhazikitsidwa ngati ndondomeko yadala panthawi yachisokonezo chomwe chinayambitsa njala yaikulu.[44] M’zaka ziŵiri ndi theka za nkhondoyo, panali anthu pafupifupi 100,000 ophedwa pankhondo, pamene anthu wamba pakati pa 500,000 ndi 2 miliyoni a ku Biafra anafa ndi njala.[45] Chapakati pa 1968, zithunzi za ana a ku Biafra opereŵera ndi njala zinafalitsidwa m’manyuzipepala, m’manyuzipepala, m’maiko a Kumadzulo. Mavuto a anthu a ku Biafra omwe ali ndi njala adakhala chifukwa cha célèbre m'mayiko akunja, zomwe zinapangitsa kukwera kwakukulu kwa ndalama ndi kutchuka kwa mabungwe omwe si a boma (NGOs). United Kingdom ndi Soviet Union ndiwo adathandizira kwambiri boma la Nigeria, pomwe France, Israel ndi mayiko ena adathandizira Biafra.[46] Nkhondo imeneyi inali imodzi mwa nkhondo zoŵerengeka za m’nthaŵi ya Cold War kumene United States, United Kingdom, ndi Soviet Union inachirikiza chipani chimodzi. Pamene France ndi Israel (pambuyo pa 1968) anali kumbali ya Biafra osati Nigeria.