Without prejudice to the erstwhile Joint Action Committee and Biafra Coalition Commission and the MOU thereof, the coalition is made up groups under two main coalitions, namely; Coalition of Biafran Liberation Groups (COBLIG) in the mainland and Great Commonwealth of Niger Delta (GCND) in the Niger Delta.

The Areas of Understanding is primarily but not limited to four major areas of; (1) Defense/Security of our territory, (2) External Affairs, (3) Joint Administration, (4) Funding.

Groups in the Coalition includes: 1.COBLIG: Eastern Peoples Congress (EPC), Eastern Solidarity Forum (ESF), Eastern Mandate Union –Youth Wing (EMU), Biafra Liberation Group (BLG), Biafra Revolutionary Organization (BRO), Movement for Igbo Defense (MID), Popular Front (PF), Movement for the Restoration of Igbo Pride & Dignity (MORIPAD), Eastern Salvation Movement (ESM), Igbo-Gadi Movement (IGM), Voice of the Eastern Christian Forum (VECF), Homeland Foundation, Eastern Farmers Association (EFA), Ahiara Declaration Vanguard and Biafran Intelligent Group.

2. GCND: Biafra Mandate, Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta, Niger Delta Youth council, Niger Delta Volunteer Forces, Network of Ijaw Women, Niger Delta Independent Seekers, NAURECON, O.Y.A, Nadodo Codo.

All the groups in the Coalition are open for membership to any Biafran wishing to join and add value to the struggle for our people’s sovereignty and independence.

The Coalition has chosen to remain unruffled with the developments and disagreement between individuals/organizations who are either real or imaginary frontliners in our liberation struggle. We have chosen to remain silent and study these developments in order to fashion a way out; we have patiently listened to arguments, mudslinging and bashing of individuals.

Some of us in the Coalition were once in MASSOB; we were all victims of detentions, the maiming, the killings and monumental fraud. We were the pillars that MASSOB stood on, from the day of our re-declaration of our intention to be independent in May 22 2000 at Aba. We were also victims of the several massacres against MASSOB that took place in Umulolo-Okigwe, Aba, Ekoli-Edda, Onitsha, Obigbo, Nssuka and Owerri, etc.

We believe that all these sacrifices and that of all our compatriots who have paid the supreme sacrifice is worth the while and will not be in vain. We posit to state that there is no activity without mistakes; only a group that carries on without activity can avoid mistakes, just as one cannot develop knowledge without study and apprenticeship. In as much as we admit mistakes in MASSOB which we cannot lay at the doorsteps of one man, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, we are concerned by the fundamental errors of the leadership of MASSOB, which culminated in suspicions among members, monumental fraud which made it impossible to separate Uwazuruike’s fortune/misfortunes from that of MASSOB, absence of a sound leadership and organizational structure that made MASSOB to revolve around Uwazuruike alone; making it difficult for the struggle to have a future nor focus.

The fundamental errors have continued to hunt MASSOB that one cannot practically investigate the allegations of corruption comprehensively without drawing the struggle back generally. The gains of the whole scenario are perhaps the lessons learned which should guide us in the future.
Based on the above, we in the Coalition believe that everyone should for now, sheathe his sword, and keep his data, dossiers/information for the future. An in-house cleansing or otherwise will be futile and this will give the enemy the needed advantage. We must remember and learn from the Ogoni 4 and the Ogoni 9 experience, for situations like this occur when revolutionaries turn their energy inwards.

WAY FORWARD:
We have for the past ten (10) years massively supported no other organization than MASSOB, morally, financially and otherwise. This support to MASSOB tends to lay credence that only MASSOB existed, but today we have the existence of several pro-Biafra groups which we believe can sustain any structures that will deliver Biafra. So lets move on.

Some people are carrying out propaganda that these re-alignments and the formation of the Coalition was aimed to weaken MASSOB. This insinuation is far from the truth. These alignments became necessary because of the need to change the strategy and approach to the struggle and position it for more positive actions. The truth is that Biafrans can not wait for another ten years to actualize Biafra. Our oppressed people have become very desperate and want Biafran sovereignty actualized now. BLC is has the primary duty of mobilizing them towards achieving this goal.

Biafra Liberation Council (BLC) will support the Biafran Provisional Government (Biafra Government In Exile and Biafran Shadow Government) and any other structures that will enhance the actualization of the Independent State of Biafra.

ADVICE TO GROUPS IN DIASPORA
The Coalition recognizes the two major frontliners in the Biafra struggle; The Ekwe-Nche Organizations and the Biafra Foundation; we urge these groups to close ranks, we advice the groups in Diaspora to organize themselves into a possible coalition in order to reach out to the world effectively. We further advice the groups in Diaspora remain neutral and have an unbiased approach to the groups back home in Biafraland. They should extend their support to all groups, and provide the much-needed intellectual base for research and documentaries to those seeking for it.

Long Live!

The United States of Biafra

Signed: Austin-Mary Ndukwu
For Interim Secretary
Biafra Liberation Council (BLC).

END PRESS RELEASE
_________________________________________________________________

Biafra alive! Because it is God Who makes it so.

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

__________________________________________________________________