Dreams of a Biafra Republic was dealt a massive blow as France which aligned with Biafra in the 1967 secession bid, has affirmed its support for a one indivisible Nigeria.
Speaking to The Guardian, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gauerthat said his country would not support any group agitating for the disintegration of the nation.
He said France was working with Nigeria and supporting it as a country.
Gauer pointed out that Nigeria has evolved since his country threw its weight behind Biafra during the civil war.
He said that France has been cooperating with Nigeria and will continue supporting the nation to surmount numerous problems especially on the fight against the insurgency.
The French envoy further stated that Biafra had no future and urged agitators to remain part of the country.
He said “We are working with Nigeria and we are supporting it as the only country. This is absolutely clear and I don’t think there is any kind of future for Biafra. They are part of Nigeria and Nigeria has to remain as the only country”.
“Apart from encouraging neighbouring African countries to cooperate with Nigeria we have also developed a strong bilateral relationship with the Nigerian Armed forces,” he said.
Recall that Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai, recently issued a stern warning to calling for the break-up of the country to “forget it.”
However, in a swift response the Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Uchenna Madu told The Guardian that the struggle for Biafra “is real and cannot be stopped by any man created by God”
He stated that: “We in MASSOB do not believe what he said because that does not represent the position of France. France is a friend of Biafra and even during the Nigeria/Biafra war, they assisted us so much.
“In this current agitation for Biafra, France has sympathy for us. We advise our people to disregard what he said. We think that the Nigerian media misinterpreted what the French envoy said.
Source:NAN
