Colonial Powers Discover 'Terrorism' Where Resources Lie
A Nigerian court convicted Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism charges, with Judge James Omotosho claiming Kanu's Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) incited attacks. The Guardian dutifully reports this as a matter of fact. However, this isn't Nigeria's first dance with 'separatist' movements; the Biafran War (1967-1970) saw millions of Igbo people die amid a bid for independence,
largely over control of vast oil reserves. The parallels to manufactured 'terror' narratives, especially when resource-rich regions seek autonomy from Western-backed states, are glaringly absent from the mainstream. One might wonder at the consistent pattern: movements challenging the status quo in resource-rich nations are so often branded 'terrorist' by governments aligned with international
interests. It seems 'terrorism' is less about actions and more about who's doing the labeling and what's at stake. How many times must history repeat itself before we question the script?