1974-Guinea-Bissau Granted Independence by Portugal

After a military revolt in Portugal that brought a left-leaning government to power, the Portuguese government agreed to grant independence to Portuguese Guinea. The new country was renamed Guinea-Bissau and…

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1973: Severe Drought Hundreds Perish

A seven-year drought in sub-Saharan Africa brought starvation to 100,000 people in the countries of Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Burkina Faso. (HC)

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1971: Idi Amin Seizes Power in Uganda

In January, while the Ugandan President Milton Obote was out of the country, Colonel Idi Amin staged a coup to oust the President. Amin soon began a reign of terror…

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1970: Biafra Capitulates Ending Civil War

A civil war in Nigeria lasted for three years. Most countries in Africa supported the central government because of the fear of a similar breakup in their respective countries. “The…

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1966: Nigerian Civil War Breaks Out

In January, a series of insurrections in the Nigerian army resulted in chaos in the country. “Troops murdered their officers, civilians killed each other.” The governor of the Nigerian Eastern…

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