Thursday 29
May 2014, seven weeks away, is the 48th anniversary of the beginning of the
Igbo genocide. Starting from that fateful mid-morning of Sunday 29 May 1966 and
through the course of 44 months of indescribable barbarity and carnage not seen
in Africa for 60 years, the composite institutions of the Nigeria state,
civilian and military, murdered 3.1 million Igbo people or one-quarter of this
nation’s population. The Igbo genocide is the foundational genocide of
post-(European)conquest Africa . It inaugurated
Africa ’s current age of pestilence.
This year’s
commemoration will, as in the past, be a day of meditation and remembrance in
every Igbo household in Igboland and the 10-million Igbo diaspora for the 3.1 million
murdered, gratitude and thanksgiving for those who survived, and the
collective Igbo rededication to achieve the urgent goal of the restoration of
Igbo sovereignty and justice. There will also be lectures, discussions and
exhibitions on varying features and phases of the genocide organised by
individuals, students, the youth, women, family unions, village, town,
district, regional and professional associations. This is now time to begin to
prepare for the elaborate and expansive worldwide jubilee commemoration on 29
May 2016 – 50th anniversary of the genocide.
The 50
million Igbo people heartily welcome all peoples of goodwill across the world
to join them in commemorating the 48th anniversary of the launch of the
genocide.
Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe
Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe
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