The Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970): A Theoretical Resurrection

Abstract

War Termination theory emerged in the new millennium as a supplement to existing war theories. In the past, the focus of scholars was on the causes and consequences of war. Little or no attention was given to war termination, ceasefire agreements, the duration of wars, and the stability of peace. With this new theory, it becomes very easy to subject war termination to theoretical explication. This article reviews the theory using the Nigerian civil war to argue that the Biafran surrender during the war was mere war termination and not an end to the war as the underlying issues of the war were never addressed during and after the termination of the war. The article posits that for the state to finally bury the Biafran Ghost, it should endeavor to institutionalize necessary mechanisms to generate harmony and peace among the multifarious ethnic nationalities that make up the country.