THE UNITED NATIONS OBSERVER TEAM AND PRISONERS OF WAR DURING THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR, 1967-1970
THE UNITED NATIONS OBSERVER TEAM AND PRISONERS OF WAR DURING THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR, 1967-1970

Summary/Abstract: This study interrogated the role of the United Nations Observer Team in ascertaining the conditions and management of prisoners of war during the Nigerian Civil War. While the study adopted historical methodology for data analysis, it utilized primary sources such as archival materials and newspapers obtained from the British National Archives in Kew London and secondary sources namely books and journal articles for data collection. The study indicated that, the conditions of the POWs during the civil war were frightening. Biafran and Nigerian military captured many POWs during military operations on both sides, unfortunately, due to lack of adequate resources they were not treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention on human rights despite the ICRC’s urgent appeal to the belligerents for them to conform strictly to the provisions of the international humanitarian law and in particular to article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. Discussions were held with the appropriate authorities concerning the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War; Article 3 established a minimum standard in respect of conflicts not of an international character. Most Biafra POWs was well treated to a certain extent and exchanged during the war but the federal troops executed most Biafran POWs because of hatred and indoctrination from foreign mercenaries. POWs were subjected to torture and abuse; lacked opportunities to exercise their fundamental human rights. Many prisoners were obliged to sleep on the bare floor. Inadequate food, medical and sanitary arrangements had contributed to poor health conditions and the outbreak of diseases like chickenpox and smallpox diseases among the prisoners of which their treatment would not have been possible without international humanitarian organizations. Concern about the fate of the war prisoners by the international community prompted the United Nations to constitute an observer team charged with the responsibility of ascertaining the extent to which the prisoners of war had been treated in the conflict. Intense criticisms meted against the UN non-intervention in the war led to the world body assembling the observer team that visited the warzone to report on the conditions of the prisoners of war, displaced persons and refugees. The report about genocide being committed in the war rekindled the UN action of ascertaining the welfare of prisoners in Nigeria and Biafra. The UN report on the prisoners of war showed that the two sides did not show regards for the prisoners of war. However, in some camps they visited the POWs were well treated but still enough was not done as stipulated in Geneva Conventions on human rights. The initiative was part of the UN move of countering international public opinion that it was not doing enough to salvage the plights of civilians and prisoners of war in the conflict. The study concludes that, the consciousness of providing basic needs for the survival of the POWs was on the front burner of humanitarian operations of the conflict. It was not possible to abandon the POWs to suffer especially when many of them were infected with diseases and emotional trauma.

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