Simon Ekpa: “Biafra will protect the rights of everyone”
Calls for International support
This seems to echo the desire of many in the Biafran independence movement; a prominent figure of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, has said that a Biafran government would be fully implementing all UN human rights instruments. This statement not only affirms the group’s commitment to international law but also underlines the role of human rights in the continuing struggle for self-determination and justice for the Biafran people.
The Biafran struggle for independence has been characterized by war, politics of exclusion, and denial of basic human rights. The Nigerian government has been criticized for its handling of the IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu in particular, after a United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention urged the government to release him unconditionally. This opinion focused on grave abuses of human rights as arbitrary detentions and use of torture, which have become paradigmatic of other problems affecting the Biafran population.
In this regard, Simon Ekpa correctly stated that Biafra will ratify all the UN human rights treaties; this is not a political statement but a commitment to the people of Biafra that their rights will be accorded the deserved respect in any Biafran political set up.
Ekpa said during an interview recently;
“We’ll make sure that the rights of every individual are protected and that Biafra is a hope of human rights in Africa”
Thus, Ekpa’s vision of the future Biafra is based on human rights and the principles of democracy.
He emphasized
”Why do we fight for it? You want to know, and the answer is simple: It is for our independence, yes, but it is also for a society where everyone counts, where nobody is discriminated against, where their rights are upheld.”
This vision is especially significant given that Biafra has a history of conflict and oppression, with a struggle narrative that ended in civil war.
Some of the key treaties that Biafra is expected to assent to include:
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
As much as the world today is keen on human rights when formulating their foreign policy, Biafra’s embrace of these principles may earn them many allies and support from nations as well as organizations that support human rights. ‘‘It’s not a case where we were fighting only for ourselves; we were fighting for the freedom of all the oppressed people,’’ Ekpa commented on the extended meaning toward the Biafran war.
Simon Ekpa also affirmed that he knows all the obstacles that are ahead of the Biafran secessionists, but he is hopeful.
‘‘Any struggle has its challenges, but we will rise above those challenges peacefully and through asking for support—especially from the international community”
The international community is also a key player in ensuring that Biafra sticks to the course as far as human rights are concerned. Pressure from international human rights organizations, as well as from other countries, will also guarantee that Biafra’s future government will not go back on its word.
“We urge the international community to support us in the fight against injustice and the regular violation of human rights”
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The road is going to be tough, but with liberal intentions and the global community in its corner, Biafra can strive for becoming the African role model of democracy and justice. “Our struggle is not just a struggle to gain independence for Biafrans alone, but for any oppressed person in this world,” said Simon Ekpa, summing up the Biafran vision.
