Post-Conflict Reconstruction, International Peacebuilding Missions, and Igbo Collective Memory of the Nigerian Civil War

The Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970, which generated the Biafran experience as both historical trauma and ongoing political symbol, continues to shape collective memory, ethnic identity, and political orientation among Igbo communities in southeastern Nigeria, including those in Imo State. International responses to the civil war, including humanitarian missions and Cold War-era diplomatic maneuvering, have left a contested legacy that intersects with contemporary debates about transitional justice, national reconciliation, and the unfinished business of post-conflict reconstruction. This study examines how international peacebuilding frameworks and the concept of post-conflict reconstruction apply to the Nigerian Civil War legacy in Imo State, exploring community perceptions of international involvement, historical grievances, and prospects for reconciliation between 2021 and 2024. A qualitative oral history and interview methodology is employed, engaging community leaders, civil war survivors, youth groups, and academic historians in Imo State, alongside analysis of historical diplomatic records and contemporary civil society reports. Transitional justice theory and the politics of memory provide the theoretical scaffolding. Findings reveal that Imo communities retain deeply felt perceptions of international abandonment during the civil war and continuing inadequacy of federal government accountability for civil war atrocities. Contemporary secessionist sentiment is partly rooted in unresolved historical grievances that post-conflict reconstruction narratives have inadequately addressed. The study recommends a truth and reconciliation process that acknowledges international dimensions of the conflict and incorporates Igbo community voices into national memory frameworks. Keywords: post-conflict reconstruction, Nigerian Civil War, Biafra, collective memory, peacebuilding