Huge Relief Measures To Aid Nigerians

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32194, 13 January 1970, Page 9

Huge Relief Measures To Aid Nigerians

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LAGOS, January 12. Mammoth relief measures for victims of the 30-month Nigeran civil war gathered pace today as Biafra’s military resistance crumbled and mystery surrounded the fate of its 36-year-old leader, General Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The International Red Cross, Britain, the United States, France and other nations and organisations were swift to offer relief in the way of medicines, food and other aid.

Numerous planes were standing by to make mercy flights into the area as soon as possible.

Reports filtering out of the Biafran region spoke of refugees streaming from areas captured by Federal Nigerian troops. The climax of the dramatic Federal advance was the Lagos announcement that the Biafran provisional capital of Owerri had fallen. Panic-stricken efforts were

also reported to get on the last planes to leave Uli airport—Biafra’s vital link with the outside world which is now understood to have also fallen to the Federal forces. Federal Nigeria’s leader, Major-General Yakubu Gowon, called on all secessionist forces to lay down their arms and warned them: “To continue the fight at this stage is not only futile, but useless. But the biggest mystery was the whereabouts of General Ojukwu, once one of Nigeria’s wealthiest young men. It was his action in tak-

ing the Eastern Region out of Nigeria and setting up Biafra on May 30, 1967, that started the war.

i General Ojukwu—believed accompanied by members of , his Government—is known to ■ have left Owerri for an un- : known destination before the ; Federal announcement of ■ Owerri’s capture. Biafran sources in Libreville, Gabon, said the ministers arrived safely in that West African country on the last Red Cross plane out of Uli on Saturday night No Confirmation But they could not confirm that the general was in Libreville and there was no firm word from elsewhere on where he now was. Gabon is one of the four African countries which recognised Biafra. The others are Tanzania, Zambia and Ivory Coast Major new moves overnight in the efforts to get aid to the war victims—a joint church aid spokesman in Copenhagen estimated Biafran refugees might total five million—came in Britain, the United States and Canada. In Britain, a giant Air Force Hercules transport loaded with 20,0001 b of medicine was waiting ready to leave this morning for Nigeria while the Government was understood to be drawing up plans for other relief measures. The British Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) was telephoned at the week-end from Washington by President Nixon on co-ordination of relief efforts and strengthening of the international observer teams with the Nigerian Federal forces. U.S. Ready Later the White House announced that the United States was ready to participate in a massive expansive of relief operations. It said that President Nixon was offering General Gowon assistance in augmenting relief and logistical help for the

observer team and that this was due to be discussed during the day in Lagos between United States and Federal officials.

France today pressed ahead with efforts to ease suffering among Biafra’s civilians fleeing from the shrinking secessionist territory. France has already asked the International Red Cross to release all stocks of supplies held in Biafra and is urging that maximum facilities, be set up for the reception and relief of refugees. The Foreign Minister (Mr Maurice Schumann) was quoted as telling Mr Raymond Offroy, chairman of the French action committee for Biafra, that France would refrain from taking a political initiative in the present situation.

But Mr Offroy indicated after an hour-long meeting yesterday with Mr Schumann that the Foreign Minister did not envisage France dropping its support for Biafra’s right of self-determination. In Toronto, Canada’s External Affairs Minister (Mr Mitchell Sharp) welcomed the London and Washington anouncements of increasing relief activities.

Canada, he said, was ready to play its full part in providing food, medical and other material assistance.