May 27 2006

This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts

For May 27^th, 2006

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

Fellow Biafrans:

As the world changes and aligns itself in agreement with us in our exercise of our Self Determination rights in the drive for the actualization of Biafra, we only wonder why General Obasanjo and Nigeria have not gotten the message yet. The world will never again support any country or any leader who imprisons persons and groups who exercise their right to be their own sovereign nation, especially groups and their leadership using non-violent means in pursuit of such a moral and divine mandate. We therefore continue to ask Obasanjo to release Ralph Uwazurike, the leader of MASSOB (Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, a non-violent organization), other MASSOB leaders including Uchenna Madu, and other MASSOB members currently being held in Nigerian jails on charges and under conditions which violate their civil rights and their human rights. All that these our bothers and sisters have done is to lead us, join us, and demonstrate to us our right to redeem our own well-defined nation in our own well-demarcated territory, to exercise our natural sovereignty and governance as an independent nation. There can be no crime in that.

This week, Montenegro joined the list of nations which have accomplished that. In each case, the world never opposed the process or the outcome; instead, the world has been quick to recognize the sovereignty and independence of such nations. In this latest case, Montenegro’s population is less than one million. The referendum in Montenegro barely passed by exactly the percentage of votes needed—not much more. The European Union (EU) accepted the results and has moved to start processing Montenegro’s application for membership to the EU. Serbia, the remnant entity, has not gone to war to stop Montenegro, as was its pattern a decade ago when it went after nations seceding from the now defunct Yugoslavia.

Fellow Biafrans: we talk to you about Montenegro for several reasons, First, at the same time we talk to you, we are also talking to the world and world leaders, to the stakeholders in Nigeria, including UK and EU; to Nigeria itself—if it would listen, to so-called Nigeria’s leaders like Obasanjo—whether or not they listen; and to the Igbo and other Biafrans who have either opposed or remained neutral to our ongoing and succeeding push for Biafra actualization: their deafness can only be contrived.

Second, look at the population of Montenegro: under 1 million. At the very worst, Biafra is between 50 and 60 Million strong. So, size is not the issue—neither the size of the population nor the size of the territory. All that is needed is the WILL to be what God created you to be—free! Free from deliberate oppression and planned suppression and schemed repression. We have already shown the Will, but now, we have to shore it up since we can now validate that a strong WILL will fetch us our prize. This should also convince the skeptics.

Third: Montenegro did not have to go to war. Of course, we know that previous Balkan nations breaking out had to face the murderous and bloody attempts of Serbia to stop them, and had to fight a series of wars to get out from under Serbia-dominated Yugoslavia before they could succeed. We are already engaged in a non-violent agenda to actualize Biafra. No one can deny the viciousness and bloodiness of the one-sided violence and mayhem unleashed on us—especially MASSOB members—by Nigeria since the onset of our journey to Self Determination, even though Nigeria knows very well that we are unarmed and we have never challenged them with armed resistance. We—MASSOB and our people—remain steadfast in our non-violent approach because we have so chosen. Like other victorious non-violent movements in history, we shall succeed. Like Montenegro, we will succeed.

Fourth: consider the role of the world powers and EU in this case. They played a supportive role, although it was up to Montenegro to press her rights. By the same token, we will expect the same from the world and from EU, especially UK; we will not accept any hypocrisy or any double standard, but must constantly remind these stakeholders of their responsibility to be fair and to be credible, to be even-handed and to apply equitably principled policies. Just because we are Africans does not mean that a natural right freely enjoyed by Europeans should be blocked and denied us by the same Europeans. For, it would be naïve to pretend that Europeans do not have a very strong influence in what happens in Africa, and in this particular instance, between Biafra and Nigeria.

Fifth and finally, this should not be lost on Obasanjo and his club of tormentors and persecutors of Biafra and Biafrans. This is part of the story of Montenegro. Remember Milosevic? He was the Leader of Serbia / Yugoslavia who thought that he could get away with stoking and inciting and waging the wars and atrocities perpetrated by Serbia against its seceding erstwhile neighbors. Milosevic ended up being the first sitting head of a European State to be indicted for war crimes. Soon, the very State power which had intoxicated Milosevic, like power does eventually, was gone, and Milosevic was arrested by his own people and handed over to the world’s War Crimes Tribunal where he was facing charges until he died, a broken and bitter man, in a lonely prison cell. If Obasanjo thinks that he can escape this fate, let him think again. He may still engineer immunity for himself by leaning hard on Nigerian legislators, but such immunity means nothing to the World Court: there is no immunity for Crimes Against Humanity—violations of human and civil rights. He will be handed over to the Tribunal when the time comes.

And, it was not Milosevic alone that was indicted and sough by the world. Many other cronies, friends and colleagues and agents of Milosevic face similar indictments for the same crime. Some have already been tried and sentenced. Others have spent a miserable existence trying to run and hide—fugitives—from a relentless world intent on capturing them and putting them on trial for their role in these “un-human” acts. At least one has committed suicide. This should be a lesson for anyone who, directly or indirectly, acting on the orders of Obasanjo and his administration, or on the existing policy of Nigeria, have participated in any way in the killing, maiming, mayhem, attack, torture or imprisonment of MASSOB members or Biafrans. Just this week, we learnt that acting on such orders from Obasanjo, the Nigeria Police has once again killed at least 3 MASSOB members and imprisoned over ten times that number in one of the Biafran cities. We have also learned that a vigilante group has been paid to physically liquidate MASSOB members, and we have seen reports of their bloody work. Be it known, then, that the world takes notice. We take notice. On the appointed day, Obasanjo and those who helped him with these atrocities against MASSOB and Biafrans will be brought to justice. That day is getting closer: Obasanjo should feel the heat; his international handlers have already shown their hand—they abandoned him in his quest for an illegal and unpopular third term in Nigeria. Let those who can, learn. The future will not forget the present nor the past.

We continue to wish you all Godspeed in this phase of our struggle which will certainly lead to our successful actualization of Biafra. The coast is clearer now. We march on

Biafra alive! because God makes it so.

That’s the News Analysis for the week. Thank you.

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God bless and keep Biafra, and you, until our next broadcast. Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues (http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm), now with the summary of the News Analysis in Igbo language.

Ndi Biafra, ekele e o-o! Anyi e kelee unu.

Nkea wu akuko nke anyi na a kpo News Analysis, si na Voice of Biafra International Radio, di na Washington DC, na ala America, na a bia ra unu na abali a.

Mara kwa unu na o ga a wu zi isi-ike ka Obasanjo na e me na otu o kpoputaghi bee Ralph Uwazurike na Uchenna Madu na ndi MASSOB ndi ozo no na mkporo ya wu Obasanjo na Nigeria. Maka Uwa nkea naha a gbanwe la. Ndi uwa na a nabata zi na obioma Obodo owula choro i noro onwe ya, na a chi onwe ya. Otua ka o mere na ihe gbasara Obodo a na a kpo Montenegro, nke hapuru Obodo ozo a na a kpo Serbia na izu ya. Mazi Uwazurike na umunne anyi ndi MASSOB na ndi Biafra ndi ozo na a cho ro anyi ihe Montenegro nwetara: o nweghi odida iwu di na ochicho a, ma o wu na nweta ya.

Ebe Montenegro nwere ike i jiri otua gbaputa onwe ya na aka ndi ji ha, wu Serbia, ndi Biafra ga e nwe mmeri na anyi i nweta Biafra. Maka Biafra ka Montenegro na ogu-uzo-abuo-na-iri. Onye o wula nyere anyi mmekpa-ahu ma o wu gbuo anyi na ndi MASSOB maka nweta Biafra, ndi Ulo Ikpe Ukwu nke Uwa ga e jide ha, maa ha ikpe, tuo ha mkporo, mgbe oge ruru, ka ha si mee ndi Serbia ndi nyere ndi ozo, nde mere ihe Montenegro mere, na Ala Europe, ebe a na a kpo Yugoslavia. Obasanjo na ndi o na e ziga i gbu na i tu nde Biafra na MASSOB mpkoro mara kwa na ndi Uwa a maa la ha ikpe a maa—ma o wu ndi Police ndi anyi nuru na ha e gbuela madu ato ndi MASSOB, tuo ogu-na-iri mkporo abali ole-na-ole gara aga; ma o wu ndi vigilante nde Obasanjo na Police ya nyere ego ka ha na e gbu ndi MASSOB na Onitsha na ebe ndi ozo: anyi na ndi uwa a marala nde ha wu; oge mgbe anyi ga a ma ha ikpe na ha a biala. A si na ha mara ihe, ugbua ka ha ga a kwusi ihe aru ihe ojoo a na ile ha na e me ndi MASSOB na ndi Biafra ndi ozo.

Umu Biafra: anyi ga na e ji si kwa nu ike na a gba oso-ndu nkea nke anyi na a gba na nweta Biafra na uzo nke udo. Mmeri wu nke anyi. O wu kwa nu na ike Chineke na na aha Ya ka anyi ga e nweta Biafra. Chineke a tugharia la obi nke ndi uwa ka ha hu na o wu Ya Onwe Ya nyere anyi nweta Biafra. Biko, unu ji sie ike.

Biafra, ndu gi! Biafra, ndu gi!! Biafra, ndu gi!!!—na ndu anyi kwa. Maka Chineke nonyere la gi—nonyere kwa ra anyi!

Ndewo unu.

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Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
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