From Operation Python Dance to Udoka
Neo-Biafra separatist struggle and military-led peacebuilding operations in Southeast Nigeria
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6030176 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chikodiri Nwangwu (0000-0001-5710-0369, University of Johannesburg, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-23 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | African Identities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1472-5843 • E-ISSN: 1472-5851 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14725843.2025.2544691 |
| OpenAlex | W4413103733 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 28 |
This study interrogated the evolution of military-led Special Operation Forces against neo-Biafran secessionism and its implications for peacebuilding in Nigeria’s Southeast region. Tracing a trajectory from Operation Python Dance through Exercise Atilogwu Udo to Operation Udoka, the study is situated within the broader context of securitisation and peacebuilding in a region where historical grievances surrounding perceived exclusionary practices continue to spur secessionist calls. Although this shift from traditional show of force to more peace-focused strategies is largely regarded as the Nigerian military’s rebranding effort in the region, it conforms to modern counterinsurgency doctrine, which emphasises the organic integration of both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies. The study was based on content analysis of primary datasets from ACLED and Nextier Conflict Database; investigative reports from the European Asylum Support Office, Amnesty International, and the InterSociety; as well as scholarly publications, military communiqués, and media reports. The study found that the military-led community engagements, strategic communications, community policing, intelligence gathering, and humanitarian interventions as complementary response measures to insecurity in the Southeast provide a glimmer of hope for sustainable peacebuilding in the region. This strategic shift reinforces the well-established belief that addressing insecurity in the region requires a multidimensional approach
Art · Dance · Economics · Management · Offensive · Peacebuilding · Political economy · Political science · Sociology · Visual arts · Computer Science · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics · Law · Political Conflict and Governance
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Unforgotten shadows
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |