Cause of the war

The Aro Confederacy, whose powers extended across Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon, was crumbling in the late 19th century due to the European colonists. The Aro people felt a need to take action against the colonists who threatened their culture and sovereignty.

For the United Kingdom, it was

"To abolish slave trade which is secretly carried on throughout the entire territories belonging to, and dominated by the Aros. To abolish the fetish of the Aros known as Longjuju, which they by superstition and fraud causes many evils among the tribes generally, and to all the outlying tribes of the entire protectorate, who continually appeal to it. Finally, to establish throughout the territories a labour market to take the place of slavery." (quote by Sir Ralph Moore, the high Commissioner of Nigerian Coast Protectorate).

Aro Invasions

The Aros knew that British penetration would destroy their dominance. They also opposed their religion, Christianity, which some of the Aros were converting to. Aro rulers saw the new religion as a British method of peacefully capturing Aro territories. Aro raids and invasions on many communities were conducted in order to bully those who favored the British. But the Aro invasion of Obegu around November 1901 signaled for the direct invasion of Arochukwu. 400 people died and the government of Obegu was destroyed. Obegu was a town sided with the British. After this attack, the British would retaliate.

The Aro Expedition

Sir Ralph Moore and the Royal Niger Company, had planned the attack on the Aros and Ibini-Ukpabi since September 1899. The Aro invasion of Obegu marked their signal for the Expedition which began in 1901.

A military operation was launched against Aro and the shrine of the Long Juju in November 1901. On November 28, Lt. Col. H. F. Montanaro led 87 officers, 1,550 soldiers and 2,100 carriers in four axes of advance from Oguta, Akwete, Unwuna and Itu on a counter-insurgency campaign. As expected, Aro and allied forces resisted gallantly, although not as severe due to lack of modern weapons. However, Arochukwu was captured on Christmas Day and the Long Juju shrine was blown up. The Aro expedition was carried out by the British to stop or subdue the Aro trading oligarchy ending weeks later in January 1902. British forces remained active in the field until May.

The result of the war

Some of the Aro leaders, were arrested, tried by tribunals, and hanged. Eze Kanu Okoro (king of Arochukwu) went into hiding. The fame and importance of the Aros faded. Although the defeat of the Aro helped the British in their imperial agenda, serious opposition to British rule in Igboland, however, did not end with the Aro expedition. In the years that followed, the British had to fight repeated wars in various parts of Igboland such as the Ekumeku War, Nri War, Afikpo War, Ezza War, and etc.

Major battles

• Aro raids on British allies (1890's-1901)
• Aro invasion on Obegu (1901)
• Aro expedition (1901-1902)

References

External links

• http://www.aronetwork.org/
• http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/alpha/aro1901.htm
• http://www.nigerdeltacongress.com/karticles/longjuju.htm
• http://british-colonial-africa-from-1873-to-1955.com/PDFS/1_A_Falkland_Islander_DSO.pdf