Malt

 Afgelopen maand was dry januari...

Elk jaar laten in januari miljoenen mensen over de hele wereld alcohol staan. Een hele maand lang drinken zij geen alcohol. Zo begint deze groep mensen het nieuwe jaar met een nuchtere, frisse start. Ben je nieuwsgierig wat een maand niet drinken voor jou kan betekenen? (https://www.alcoholinfo.nl/gezondheid/dry-january)

Ik geloof niet in een hier en daar, een dit en dat, een nu en straks, een jij en ik, hoog en laag, mooi of lelijk – begin of eind. Yin en yang ontlenen hun individuele eigenschappen aan elkaar. Ze zijn elk een uiterste van hetzelfde spectrum. Één deurtje gaat dicht, een ander deurtje gaat open. En zo ook met ons maandje zonder alcohol. Want je kunt je afvragen: was dit het? Zit het er nu op? Ben ik nu klaar? Of begint het nu pas? Dry January was het kader waarbinnen je een maand lang aan zelfonderzoek hebt gedaan. Dat kader, die periode van één maand gaf je een concreet meetpunt. Iets om je experiment, je eigen ontwikkeling aan te relateren. Maar het gaat natuurlijk niet om het meetpunt, het gaat om je ontwikkeling. En hoewel Dry January morgen (strikt genomen om middernacht) is afgelopen, gaan jij en jouw ontwikkeling gewoon door. (https://dryjanuary.nl/)

Nou ik heb niet aan dry january gedaan, maar het had gekund. Want wat te denken van de volgende bieren?

Four centuries of craftsmanship Since its foundation almost 400 years ago in the Netherlands, 3 Horses has been a symbol of superior quality. Our roots can be traced back to 1628, when brewery ‘Drie Hoefijzers’ (3 Horseshoes) was established in Breda. The name was inspired by the neighbouring black smith’s tavern. Here, people enjoyed a drink while waiting for their horses to get re-shoed. ... To showcase our heritage and high quality standards, we have updated our branding. Warm gold colouring recalls the barley that delivers our unique maltiness. And the original three horses image is now a more delicate, hand-drawn and prestigious-looking one. But something definitely hasn’t changed: our recipe. It’s still the authentic 3 Horses you trust. Hope you like our new designs (https://www.3horsesmalt.com/)

Since its foundation almost 400 years ago in the Netherlands, 3 Horses has been a symbol of superior quality. The brand is recognized for its rich brewing heritage, unique maltiness, high standards and premium packaging.... At 3 Horses, we use only the finest barley and water from carefully selected wells. Produced under the strict quality control of our brew masters in state-of-the-art German production facilities, 3 Horses undergoes a finely judged process of mashing, lautering and cooking. The result? Characteristically pronounced maltiness, superior quality and unparalleled refreshment. .... Our roots can be traced back to 1628, when brewery ‘Drie Hoefijzers’ (3 Horseshoes) was established in Breda. In 1886, a new brewery was constructed and the brand became the first to produce non-alcoholic beverages at a large scale. Since 2007 our malts are brewed in Germany, offering you the best of two worlds: an iconic Dutch brand perfected with German production techniques.(https://www.uniteddutchbreweries.com/project/3-horses/)

3 HORSES CLASSIC Naturally brewed for a rich foam, golden colour and refreshing taste with a unique maltiness Style Alcohol Taste profile Malt Beverage 0%  Malty, natural and refreshing Packaging bottle 330 ml, can 330 ml and can 500 ml (https://www.uniteddutchbreweries.com/project/3-horses/#pomegranate)

The year was 1628, nearly four centuries ago in Breda, Holland; the year that marked the birth of something remarkable that was bound to reshape the brewing industry as we know it, the ‘Brouwerij De Drie Hoefijzers’ - ‘Brewery of the Three Horseshoes’. The name itself was inspired by the neighbouring blacksmith’s tavern, where the horsemen took a much needed respite from their travels, shared drinks and stories, while their horses got re-shoed. As time went by, ‘Brouwerij De Drie Hoefijzers’ rapidly grew in fame and popularity. In 1886, a brand-new brewery with state of the art facilities was constructed, and the new and now iconic headquarters was also built. This marked the beginning of two major milestones for the brand, one of which is the beginning of the worldwide export and distribution of the brand, and the second being the change of the brand name from ‘3 Hoefijzers’ to ‘3 Horses’ to cater for the international markets by having a brand name that is easier to pronounce and remember. Today 3 Horses is well known for its extremely refreshing non-alcoholic malt beverage (NAM), bringing you that real and distinctive malt taste. (https://uniteddutchbreweries.wixsite.com/3horses)

At 3 Horses, we don’t just brew malt, we brew tradition. We pride ourselves in brewing the kind of malt that is original in flavor, consistent in quality, and caters to a true malt drinker’s palette. Therein lies the secret to our centuries-old success and genuine 3 Horses taste: a traditional 3-stage brewing process that has been passed on for generations. Stage 1: Mashing At this stage, our carefully handpicked barley is steeped in hot water and heated at different temperatures in our brewing kettles to create a malty liquid called ‘mash’. Stage 2: Lautering Next, we hold the mash in a lauter tun – a large vessel with a false bottom - that holds the mash while allowing fluids to drain, leaving the grain behind. The result? A sweet, clear liquid called ‘wort’. Stage 3: Let the cauldron bubble The clear wort is brought to a boil and our special selection of hops is added, resulting in an exquisitely stable and sterile solution. It is at this stage that the magic truly happens and the 3 Horses touch is added: after leaving the liquid to cool, we add CO2, let it rest, and then filter everything once again to guarantee the best possible quality (the process is, of course, 100% halal). (https://uniteddutchbreweries.wixsite.com/3horses/brewing)

3 Horses Dark Malt Beverage Blik 330 ml (33cl) Frisdrank zoals 3 Horses Dark Malt Beverage Blik 330 ml is niet geschikt als onderdeel van je dagelijkse voedingspatroon. 3 Horses Dark Malt Beverage Blik 330 ml kun je wel als extraatje drinken. Het advies is om dat niet meer dan drie keer per week te doen. Het bevat te veel calorieën Oordeel gebaseerd op de Richtlijnen voor de Schijf van Vijf van het Voedingscentrum (https://www.thequestionmark.org/products/809260-3-horses-dark-malt-beverage-blik-330-ml)

Supermalt is a malt drink that is non-alcoholic and caffeine free originally developed for the Nigerian Army.[1] It has a high content of B vitamins, minerals and nutrients, and has a balance of carbohydrates that supposedly allows instant absorption. It is very dark brown in colour, and has a sweet flavour. Supermalt may be purchased in 330ml glass bottles, or cans, sold individually or in their respective six-packs. Supermalt is now produced by Royal Unibrew A/S in Denmark. It is most popular among the African and African-Caribbean community.[2] Non-alcoholic malt drinks can be made by either the traditional brewing method, where barley is steeped into malt and then brewed into a creamy, rich consistency, or made like a soft drink by using malt extract. Supermalt uses traditional brewing skills for all its non-alcoholic batches.[3] The main difference between non-alcoholic malt drinks with non-alcoholic beers is that malt drinks are usually sweet and always dark in colour. The sweet notes are a combination of naturally occurring glucose, fructose, saccharose, maltose and maltotriose. Various products of Supermalt are sold worldwide in more than 70 countries,[3] and are mostly popular among the African and African-Caribbean communities in the UK. The primary consumer target group for malt drinks is the African-Caribbean population, which represents more than 1 million people in the UK, London being the largest single European market for malt drinks.Supermalt is made solely from raw materials of vegetable origin, except for the B-vitamins, which are synthetic nature-identical ingredients. No animal products are used so Supermalt is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermalt)

Supermalt was first produced in 1972. Originally used by the Nigerian army as a dietary requirement to re-energise the troops, Supermalt sales spread across Africa, the Caribbean and the UK. The mass migration of Afro-Caribbean people to the UK during the 1950’s and 1960’s (the ‘Windrush Generation’, who came to the UK to help fill Britain’s post-war labour requirements), and the resulting population growth during the 1970’s as they settled and started families, led to Supermalt becoming an integral part of the Afro-Caribbean diet. Traditional Caribbean fruit and vegetables were often expensive and hard to find, and Supermalt provided a cheap source of B-Vitamins and nutrition. Supermalt is loved by Afro-Caribbeans from all generations – mothers often give it to their children from the age of 7 or 8, thus ensuring a natural development of new consumers. Many people talk about how when they were growing up, “Supermalt was ALWAYS in the fridge”. It is consumed for a number of reasons, including the reason that it gives older Afro-Carribeans a feeling of a product from the place they were born. Furthermore, Supermalt can almost always be found at an Afro-Caribbean party! The packaging has changed little over the years, as consumers tell us they love the heritage of the product and don’t want ‘their drink’ to change. Bringing Supermalt into the present day the drink is still enjoyed by consumers of all ages at both big religious festivals like Easter and Christmas, community and family events and for every day general consumption. Social media has been embraced by Supermalt to allow us to develop an even closer connection with our consumers, who continue to provide valuable feedback on the brand that they know and love. (https://www.supermalt.com/history/)

Supermalt werd tijdens de jaren ’60 tijdens de Nigeriaanse burgeroorlog oorspronkelijk gebrouwen als voedingssupplement, maar werd vooral bekend in de jaren ’70 in de Caraïben. Tegenwoordig is Supermalt een 'urban classic', die zowel zijn trouwe Afro-Caribische consumenten als de nieuwe millenniumgeneratie aanspreekt. Beide doelgroepen delen de passie en energie van Supermalt voor zijn geschiedenis en liefde voor muziek en dans, eten, sport en stedelijke creativiteit. Deze alcoholvrije mout drank zit vol energie en vitamine B. Live up! (https://www.unidexholland.com/nl/brands/supermalt)

Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in West Africa that separated from Nigeria and existed from May 1967 to January 1970.[4] Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated southeastern region of Nigeria.[1] Biafra was formed by Igbo nationalists in response to a series of ethnic tensions shortly after Nigerian independence in 1960 that culminated in the 1966 massacres of Igbo people and other southeastern ethnic groups living in northern Nigeria.[5] The military of Nigeria proceeded to attack Biafra shortly after it declared independence in 1967, resulting in the start of the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War). Biafra was formally recognized by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Zambia. Other nations, which did not give official recognition but provided support and assistance to Biafra, included France, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Rhodesia, South Africa, and Vatican City.[a] Biafra received aid from non-state actors, including Joint Church Aid, foreign mercenaries, Holy Ghost Fathers of Ireland,[6] and under their direction Caritas International,[7] and U.S. Catholic Relief Services.[8] Médecins Sans Frontières also originated in response to the suffering. After two-and-a-half years of war, during which almost two million Biafran civilians (three-quarters of them small children) died from starvation caused by the total blockade of the region by the Nigerian government,[9] Biafran forces under Nigeria's motto of "No-victor, No-vanquished" surrendered to the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG).  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biafra)

History and etymology

Map of Africa (Abraham Ortelius, 1584)

Map of West Africa (Rigobert Bonne (Royal Cartographer of France) 1770)

Map of West Africa (1839); Biafra is shown in the region of "Lower Guinea"

Early modern maps of Africa from the 15th to the 19th centuries, drawn from accounts written by explorers and travellers, show references to Biafar, Biafara, Biafra, [15][16] and Biafares.[17] According to the maps, the European travellers used the word Biafara to describe the region of today's West Cameroon, including an area around today's Equatorial Guinea. The German publisher Johann Heinrich Zedler, in his encyclopedia of 1731, published the exact geographical location of the capital of Biafara, namely alongside the river Rio dos Camaroes in today's Cameroon, underneath 6 degrees 10 min latitude.[18] The words Biafara and Biafares also appear on maps from the 18th century in the area around Senegal and Gambia.[19].... In 1960, Nigeria became independent of the United Kingdom. As with many other new African states, the borders of the country did not reflect earlier ethnic, cultural, religious, or political boundaries. Thus, the northern region of the country has a Muslim majority, being primarily made up of territory of the indigenous Sokoto Caliphate. The southern population is predominantly Christian, being primarily made up of territory of the indigenous Yoruba and Igbo states in the west and east respectively. Following independence, Nigeria was demarcated primarily along ethnic lines: Hausa and Fulani majority in the north, Yoruba majority in the West, and Igbo majority in the East.[21] Ethnic tension had simmered in Nigeria during discussions of independence, but in the mid-twentieth century, ethnic and religious riots began to occur. In 1945 an ethnic riot[22] flared up in Jos in which Hausa-Fulani people targeted Igbo people and left many dead and wounded. Police and Army units from Kaduna had to be brought in to restore order. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biafra)

The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970; also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War or the Biafran War) was a civil war fought between the government of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967. Nigeria was led by General Yakubu Gowon, while Biafra was led by Lt. Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu.[40] Biafra represented the nationalist aspirations of the Igbo ethnic group, whose leadership felt they could no longer coexist with the federal government dominated by the interests of the Muslim Hausa-Fulanis of northern Nigeria.[41] The conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions which preceded Britain's formal decolonization of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963. Immediate causes of the war in 1966 included ethno-religious violence and anti-Igbo pogroms in Northern Nigeria,[42] a military coup, a counter-coup and persecution of Igbo living in Northern Nigeria. Control over the lucrative oil production in the Niger Delta also played a vital strategic role. Within a year, the Federal Government troops surrounded Biafra, captured coastal oil facilities and the city of Port Harcourt. A blockade was imposed as a deliberate policy during the ensuing stalemate which led to mass starvation.[43] During the two and half years of the war, there were about 100,000 overall military casualties, while between 500,000 and 2 million Biafran civilians died of starvation.[44] In mid-1968, images of malnourished and starving Biafran children saturated the mass media of Western countries. The plight of the starving Biafrans became a cause célèbre in foreign countries, enabling a significant rise in the funding and prominence of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were the main supporters of the Nigerian government, while France, Israel and some other countries supported Biafra. This conflict was one of the few during the Cold War where the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union supported the same party. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War)

This civil war can be connected to the colonial amalgamation in 1914 of Northern protectorate, Lagos Colony and Southern Nigeria protectorate (later renamed Eastern Nigeria), which was intended for better administration due to the close proximity of these protectorates. However, the change did not take into consideration the differences in the culture and religions of the peoples in each area. Competition for political and economic power exacerbated tensions.[40] Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, with a population of 60 million, made up of more than 300 differing ethnic and cultural groups. When the colony of Nigeria had been created, its three largest ethnic groups were the Igbo, who formed about 60–70% of the population in the southeast;[45] the Hausa-Fulani of the Sokoto Caliphate, who formed about 67% of the population in the northern part of the territory;[46] and the Yoruba, who formed about 75% of the population in the southwestern part.[47] Although these groups have their own homelands, by the 1960s, the people were dispersed across Nigeria, with all three ethnic groups represented substantially in major cities. When the war broke out in 1967, there were still 5,000 Igbos in Lagos.[48] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War)

Nigeria gained independence on 1 October 1960, and the First Republic came to be on 1 October 1963. The first prime minister of Nigeria, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, was a northerner and co-founder of the Northern People's Congress. He formed an alliance with the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons party, and its popular nationalist leader Nnamdi "Zik" Azikiwe, who became Governor General and then President. The Yoruba-aligned Action Group, the third major party, played the opposition role.[74] Workers became increasingly aggrieved by low wages and bad conditions, especially when they compared their lot to the lifestyles of politicians in Lagos. ....The 1964 elections, which involved heavy campaigning all year, brought ethnic and regional divisions into focus. Resentment of politicians ran high and many campaigners feared for their safety while touring the country. The Army was repeatedly deployed to Tiv Division, killing hundreds and arresting thousands of Tiv people agitating for self-determination.[77][78] Widespread reports of fraud tarnished the election's legitimacy.[77] Westerners especially resented the political domination of the Northern People's Congress, many of whose candidates ran unopposed in the election. Violence spread throughout the country and some began to flee the North and West, some to Dahomey.[79] The apparent domination of the political system by the North, and the chaos breaking out across the country, motivated elements within the military to consider decisive action.[80] In addition to Shell-BP, the British reaped profits from mining and commerce. The British-owned United Africa Company alone controlled 41.3% of all Nigeria's foreign trade.[81] At 516,000 barrels per day, Nigeria had become the tenth-biggest oil exporter in the world.[82] Though the Nigeria Regiment had fought for Britain in both the First and Second World Wars, the army Nigeria inherited upon independence in 1960 was an internal security force designed and trained to assist the police in putting down challenges to authority rather than to fight a war.[83] The Indian historian Pradeep Barua called the Nigerian Army in 1960 "a glorified police force", and even after independence, the Nigerian military retained the role it held under the British in the 1950s.[83] The Nigerian Army did not conduct field training, and notably lacked heavy weapons.[83] Before 1948, Nigerians were not allowed to hold officer's commissions, and only in 1948 were certain promising Nigerian recruits allowed to attend Sandhurst for officer training while at the same time Nigerian NCOs were allowed to become officers if they completed a course in officer training at Mons Hall or Eaton Hall in England.[84] Despite the reforms, only an average of two Nigerians per year were awarded officers' commissions between 1948–55 and only seven per year from 1955 to 1960.[84] At the time of independence in 1960, of the 257 officers commanding the Nigeria Regiment which became the Nigerian Army, only 57 were Nigerians.[84] Using the "martial races" theory first developed under the Raj in 19th-century India, the colonial government had decided that peoples from northern Nigeria such as the Hausa, Kiv, and Kanuri were the hard "martial races" whose recruitment was encouraged while the peoples from southern Nigeria such as the Igbos and the Yoruba were viewed as too soft to make for good soldiers and hence their recruitment was discouraged.[85] As a result, by 1958, men from northern Nigeria made up 62% of the Nigeria Regiment while men from the south and the west made up only 36%.[85] In 1958, the policy was changed: henceforward men from the north would make up only 50% of the soldiers while men from the southeast and southwest were each to make up 25%. The new policy was retained after independence.[85] The previously favored northerners whose egos had been stoked by being told by their officers that they were the tough and hardy "martial races" greatly resented the change in recruitment policies, all the more as after independence in 1960 there were opportunities for Nigerian men to serve as officers that had not existed prior to independence.[85] As men from the southeast and southwest were generally much better educated than men from the north, they were much more likely to be promoted to officers in the newly founded Nigerian Army, which provoked further resentment from the northerners.[84] At the same time, as a part of Nigerianisation policy, it was government policy to send home the British officers who had been retained after independence, by promoting as many Nigerians as possible until by 1966 there were no more British officers.[86] As part of the Nigerianisation policy, educational standards for officers were drastically lowered with only a high school diploma being necessary for an officer's commission while at the same time Nigerianisation resulted in an extremely youthful officer corps, full of ambitious men who disliked the Sandhurst graduates who served in the high command as blocking further chances for promotion.[87] A group of Igbo officers formed a conspiracy to overthrow the government, seeing the northern prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, as allegedly plundering the oil wealth of the southeast.[88]... On 15 January 1966, Major Chukuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, and other junior Army officers (mostly majors and captains) attempted a coup d'état. The two major political leaders of the north, the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the Premier of the northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello were executed by Major Nzeogwu. Also murdered was Sir Ahmadu Bello's wife and officers of Northern extraction. The President, Sir Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igbo, was on an extended vacation in the West Indies. He did not return until days after the coup. There was widespread suspicion that the Igbo coup plotters had tipped him and other Igbo leaders off regarding the pending coup. In addition to the killings of the Northern political leaders, the Premier of the Western region, Ladoke Akintola and Yoruba senior military officers were also killed. The coup, also referred to as "The Coup of the Five Majors", has been described in some quarters as Nigeria's only revolutionary coup.[89] This was the first coup in the short life of Nigeria's nascent second democracy. Claims of electoral fraud were one of the reasons given by the coup plotters. Besides killing much of Nigeria's elite, the "Majors' Coup" also saw much of the leadership of the Nigerian Federal Army killed with seven officers holding the rank above colonel killed.[88] Of the seven officers killed, four were northerners, two were from the southeast and one was from the midwest. Only one was a Igbo.[88] This coup was, however, not seen as a revolutionary coup by other sections of Nigerians, especially in the Northern and Western sections and by later revisionists of Nigerian coups. Some alleged, mostly from Eastern part of Nigeria, that the majors sought to spring Action Group leader Obafemi Awolowo out of jail and make him head of the new government. Their intention was to dismantle the Northern-dominated power structure but their efforts to take power were unsuccessful. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, an Igbo and loyalist head of the Nigerian Army, suppressed coup operations in the South and he was declared head of state on 16 January after the surrender of the majors.[40] ... The Nigerian Army in 1967 was completely unready for war. The Nigerian Army had no training or experience of war on the operational level, still being primarily an internal security force.[83] Most Nigerian officers were more concerned with their social lives than military training, spending a disproportionate amount of their time on partying, drinking, hunting and playing games.[117] Social status in the Army was extremely important and officers devoted an excessive amount of time to ensure their uniforms were always immaculate while there was a competition to own the most expensive automobiles and homes.[117] The killings and purges perpetuated during the two coups of 1966 had killed most of the Sandhurst graduates. By July 1966, all of the officers holding the rank above colonel had been either killed or discharged while only 5 officers holding the rank of lieutenant colonel were still alive and on duty.[117] Almost all of the junior officers had received their commissions after 1960 and most were heavily dependent on the more experienced NCOs to provide the necessary leadership.[117] The same problems that afflicted the Federal Army also affected the Biafran Army even more whose officer corps was based around former Federal Igbo officers.[118] The shortage of experienced officers was a major problem for the Biafran Army, made worse by a climate of paranoia and suspicion within Biafra as Ojukwu believed that other former Federal officers were plotting against him.[118]... Minorities in Biafra suffered atrocities at the hands of those fighting for both sides of the conflict. The pogroms in the North in 1966 were indiscriminately directed against people from Eastern Nigeria.[139] Despite a seemingly natural alliance among these victims of the pogroms in the north, tensions rose as minorities, who had always harbored an interest in having their own state within the Nigerian federation, were suspected of collaborating with Federal troops to undermine Biafra.[140] The Federal troops were equally culpable of this crime. In the Rivers area, ethnic minorities sympathetic to Biafra were killed in the hundreds by federal troops. In Calabar, some 2000 Efiks were also killed by Federal troops.[141] Outside Biafra, atrocities were recorded against the residents of Asaba in present-day Delta State by both sides in the conflict.[142][143](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War)

Britain had planned to maintain and expand its supply of cheap high-quality oil from Nigeria. Therefore, it placed a high priority on maintenance of oil extraction and refining operations. The war broke out just a week before the Six-Day War in the Middle East led to the Suez Canal being blocked, forcing oil tankers from the Middle East to use the long route around the Cape of Good Hope, thereby increasing the cost of Middle Eastern oil. In turn, this increased the importance of Nigerian oil to Britain, because Nigerian oil was cheaper than Persian Gulf oil.[144] Initially, when it was unclear which side would prevail, Britain took a "wait and see" approach before deciding decisively for Nigeria.[145] Nigeria had a navy of only 6 vessels, the largest of which was a frigate; an air force of 76 planes, none of which were fighters or bombers; and an army of 7,000 men with no tanks and a shortage of officers with command experience. Though Biafra was likewise similarly weak, the two sides appeared evenly matched at the beginning of the war, and Nigerian victory was by no means considered preordained.[146] Britain backed the Federal Government but, when the war broke out, cautioned them not to damage British oil installations in the East. These oilworks, under the control of the Shell-BP Petroleum Development Company (jointly owned by Shell and British Petroleum), controlled 84% of Nigeria's 580,000 barrels per day. Two-thirds of this oil came from the Eastern region, and another third from the newly created Mid-West region. Two-fifths of all Nigerian oil ended up in Britain.[108] In 1967, 30% of the oil being imported into Britain came from Nigeria.[147] Shell-BP therefore considered carefully a request by the Federal Government that it refuse to pay the royalties demanded by Biafra. Its lawyers advised that payment to Biafra would be appropriate if this government did in fact maintain law and order in the region in question. The British government advised that paying Biafra could undermine the goodwill of the Federal Government. Shell-BP made the payment, and the government established a blockade on oil exports.[108] Forced to choose a side, Shell-BP and the British government threw in their lot with the Federal Government in Lagos, apparently calculating that this side would be more likely to win the war.[148.... It was not until Federal forces captured the ocean oil terminal at Bonny on 25 July 1967 that the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson decided to back Nigeria with military aid. ... During the war, Britain covertly supplied Nigeria with weapons and military intelligence and may have also helped it to hire mercenaries.[151] After the decision was made to back Nigeria, the BBC oriented its reporting to favour this side.[152] Supplies provided to the Federal Military Government included two vessels and 60 vehicles.[153] In Britain, the humanitarian campaign around Biafra began on 12 June 1968, with media coverage on ITV and in The Sun. The charities Oxfam and Save the Children Fund were soon deployed, with large sums of money at their disposal.[154]... France provided weapons, mercenary fighters, and other assistance to Biafra and promoted its cause internationally, describing the situation as a genocide. President Charles de Gaulle referred to "Biafra's just and noble cause".[155] However, France did not recognise Biafra diplomatically.[156] Through Pierre Laureys, France had apparently provided two B-26s, Alouette helicopters, and pilots.[157] France supplied Biafra with captured German and Italian weapons from World War II, sans serial numbers, delivered as part of regular shipments to Côte d'Ivoire.[158] France also sold Panhard armoured vehicles to the Nigerian federal government.[159] French involvement in the war can be viewed in the context of its geopolitical strategy (Françafrique) and competition with the British in West Africa. Nigeria represented a base of British influence in the predominantly French-aligned area. France and Portugal used nearby countries in their sphere of influence, especially Côte d'Ivoire under President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, as waystations for shipments to Biafra.[155][160] To some extent, also, France repeated its earlier policy from the Congo Crisis, when it supported the secession of the southern mining province Katanga.[161] Economically, France gained incentives through oil drilling contracts for the Société Anonyme Française de Recherches et d'Exploitation de Pétrolières (SAFRAP), apparently arranged with Eastern Nigeria in advance of its secession from the Nigerian Federation.[162][163] SAFRAP laid claim to 7% of the Nigerian petroleum supply.[108] In the assessment of a CIA analyst in 1970, France's "support was actually given to a handful of Biafran bourgeoisie in return for the oil. "[164] Biafra, for its part, openly appreciated its relationship with France. Ojukwu suggested on 10 August 1967, that Biafra introduce compulsory French classes in secondary, technical and teacher training schools, in order to "benefit from the rich culture of the French-speaking world".[165] France led the way, internationally, for political support of Biafra.[163] Portugal also sent weapons. These transactions were arranged through the "Biafran Historical Research Centre" in Paris.[25] French-aligned Gabon and Côte d'Ivoire recognised Biafra in May 1968.[166] On 8 May 1968, De Gaulle personally contributed 30,000 francs to medicine purchases for the French Red Cross mission. .... Maurice Robert, head of Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage (SDECE, the French foreign intelligence service) African operations, wrote in 2004 that his agency supplied the press with details about the war and told them to use the word "genocide" in their reporting.[169] France declared "Biafra Week" on 11–17 March 1969, centred on a 2-franc raffle held by the French Red Cross. Soon after, de Gaulle terminated arms shipments, then resigned on 27 April 1969. Interim president Alain Poher fired General Jacques Foccart, the lead coordinator of France's Africa policy. Georges Pompidou re-hired Foccart and resumed support for Biafra, including cooperation with the South African secret service to import more weapons.[170](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War)

The United States officially declared neutrality, with US Secretary of State Dean Rusk stating that "America is not in a position to take action as Nigeria is an area under British influence".[116] Formally, the United States was neutral in the civil war. Strategically, its interests aligned with the Federal Military Government, although there was considerable popular sentiment in support of Biafra. The US also saw value in its alliance with Lagos, and sought to protect $800 million (in the assessment of the State Department) worth of private investment.[171] .... The Soviet Union strongly backed the Nigerian government, emphasising the similarity with the Congo situation. Nigeria's need for more aircraft, which Britain and the United States refused to sell, led Gowon to accept a Soviet offer in the summer of 1967 to sell a squadron of 17 MiG-17 fighters.[173] The British-trained Nigerian military tended to be distrustful of the Soviet Union, but the Soviet ambassador in Lagos, Alexander Romanov, a gregarious and friendly man as well as a shrewd diplomat, established an excellent rapport with Gowon and persuaded him that accepting Soviet weapons would not mean subjection to the Soviet Union.[174] The first MiG-17s arrived in Nigeria in August 1967 together with some about 200 Soviet technicians to train the Nigerians in their use. Though the MiG-17s turned out to be too sophisticated for the Nigerians to use properly, requiring Egyptian Air Force pilots to fly them, the Soviet-Nigerian arms deal turned out to be one of the turning points of the war. Besides establishing an arms pipeline from the Soviet Union to Nigeria, the possibility that the Soviet Union would gain greater influence in Nigeria led Britain to increase its supply of arms to maintain its influence in Lagos while ruling out the possibility of either the United States or Britain recognizing Biafra.[175].... Reportedly, the war substantially improved Soviet-Nigerian diplomatic and trade relations, and Moskvitch cars began to make appearances around Lagos. The USSR became a competitive importer of Nigerian cacao.[176].... Because the Soviet Union was one of Nigeria's leading supporters, supplying arms on a generous scale, China, having recently become rivals with the Soviets in the Sino-Soviet split, declared its support for Biafra. In its first major statement on the war in September 1968, the New China Press Agency stated the People's Republic of China fully supported the justified struggle for liberation of the people of Biafra against the Nigerian government supported by "Anglo-American imperialism and Soviet revisionism". China supported arms to Biafra via Tanzania, supplying arms worth some $2 million in 1968–1969.[178]... President Gamal Abdel Nasser dispatched pilots of the Egyptian Air Force to fight for Nigeria in August 1967, flying the recently arrived MiG-17s. The tendency of Egyptian pilots to indiscriminately bomb Biafran civilians proved counterproductive in the propaganda war as the Biafrans did their best to publicise cases of civilians killed by the Egyptians.[186] In the spring of 1969, the Nigerians replaced the Egyptian pilots with East German pilots who proved to be considerably more competent.[187]... Outmatched by Nigeria's superior military power, Biafra hired foreign mercenaries in desperation.[190] Mercenaries with prior experience fighting in the Congo Crisis were eagerly drawn to Biafra. German mercenary Rolf Steiner was placed in charge of the 4th Commando Brigade of the Biafran Armed Forces and commanded 3,000 men. Welsh mercenary Taffy Williams, one of Steiner's subordinates, was in command of one hundred Biafran fighters. Steiner's other subordinates were a mixture of adventurers consisting of the Italian Giorgio Norbiato; the Rhodesian explosive expert Johnny Erasmus; the Scotsman Alexander "Alec" Gay; the Irishman Louis "Paddy" Malrooney; the Corsican Armand Iaranelli who had been able to enlist in the Foreign Legion by pretending to be Italian; and a Jamaican bartender turned mercenary who called himself "Johnny Korea".[191] Polish-Swiss pilot Jan Zumbach formed and commanded a ragtag air force for Biafra. Canadian pilot Lynn Garrison, Swedish pilot Carl Gustaf von Rosen, and Rhodesian pilot Jack Malloch served as leaders of Biafran air operations, attacking Nigerian forces and also supplying weapons and food aid. Portuguese pilots also served in the Biafran Air Force, transporting weapons from Portugal to Biafra. Steiner established a brown water navy by converting some Chris-Craft Boats into gun boats, which turned out to be successful in launching surprise raids for weapons and supplies.[192] It was hoped that employing mercenaries in Nigeria would have similar impact to the Congo, but the mercenaries proved largely ineffective since the Nigerian military received much more professional and adequate training compared to the Congolese militias.[193] Despite some initial early successes (such as Operation OAU), over half of the 4th Commando Brigade was wiped out by Nigerian forces during the disastrous Operation Hiroshima of 15–29 November 1968, resulting in Steiner experiencing depression and a nervous breakdown, leading to his eventual expulsion and replacement by Taffy Williams. Although Nigeria appeared to be a tougher opponent, commentators observing the war noted that the remaining mercenaries appeared to have developed a personal or ideological commitment to Biafra's cause, which is a rare trait for mercenaries.[194] Belgian mercenary Marc Goosens, who was killed by defensive Nigerian forces in a suicide mission during Operation Hiroshima, was reportedly motivated by his hatred of the British government (which supported Nigeria during the war).[194] Steiner claimed to have fought for Biafra for idealistic reasons, saying the Igbo people were the victims of genocide, but the American journalist Ted Morgan mocked his claims, describing Steiner as a militarist who simply craved war because killing was the only thing he knew how to do well.[195] Journalist Frederick Forsyth quotes Taffy Williams speaking of his Biafran subordinates, "I've seen a lot of Africans at war. But there's nobody to touch these people. Give me 10,000 Biafrans for six months, and we'll build an army that would be invincible on this continent. I've seen men die in this war who would have won the Victoria Cross in another context".[194] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War)

Reconstruction, helped by the oil money, was swift; however, the old ethnic and religious tensions remained a constant feature of Nigerian politics. Accusations were made of Nigerian government officials diverting resources meant for reconstruction in the former Biafran areas to their ethnic areas. Military government continued in power in Nigeria for many years, and people in the oil-producing areas claimed they were being denied a fair share of oil revenues.[250] Laws were passed mandating that political parties could not be ethnically or tribally based; however, it has been hard to make this work in practice. Igbos who ran for their lives during the pogroms and war returned to find their positions had been taken over; and when the war was over the government did not feel any need to re-instate them, preferring to regard them as having resigned. This reasoning was also extended to Igbo-owned properties and houses. People from other regions were quick to take over any house owned by an Igbo, especially in the Port Harcourt area. The Nigerian Government justified this by terming such properties abandoned.[251] This, however, has led to a feeling of an injustice as the Nigerian government policies were seen as further economically disabling the Igbos even long after the war. Further feelings of injustice were caused by Nigeria changing its currency, so that Biafran supplies of pre-war Nigerian currency were no longer honoured. At the end of the war, only N£20 was given to any easterner regardless of the amount of money he or she had had in the bank. This was applied irrespective of their banking in pre-war Nigerian currency or Biafran currency. This was seen as a deliberate policy to hold back the Igbo middle class, leaving them with little wealth to expand their business interests.[252] ... On 29 May 2000, The Guardian reported that President Olusegun Obasanjo commuted to retirement the dismissal of all military persons who fought for the breakaway state of Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. In a national broadcast, he said that the decision was based on the principle that "justice must at all times be tempered with mercy."[citation needed] Biafra was more or less wiped off the map until its resurrection by the contemporary Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra.[253] Chinua Achebe's last book, There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra, has also rekindled discussion of the war.[citation needed] In 2012, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist movement was founded, led by Nnamdi Kanu. In 2021, tensions between IPOB and the Nigerian government escalated into the violent Orlu Crisis, with IPOB declaring that the "second Nigeria/Biafra war" had begun. The separatists vowed that this time, Biafra would win.[254] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Civil_War)

Ingredients

Water, Barley Malt, Glucose Syrup, Carbon Dioxide, Colour (E150c), Acid (Citric Acid), Liquorice, Nicotinamide, Pantothenol, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate, Pyridoxin Chloride

Energy 270kJ 900kJ –

– (65kcal) (210kcal) –

Protein 0.8g 2.6g –

Carbohydrate 15g 50g –

Fat nil nil –

Thiamin (vitamin B1) 1.40mg 4.6mg / 100%

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) 0.80mg 2.6mg / 50%

Niacin (vitamin B3) 7.40mg 24mg / 40%

Vitamin B6 0.70mg 2.3mg / 35%

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) 1.50mg 5.0mg / 25% (https://reapp.com.gh/supermalt-pack-of-6/)

It was first produced in 1972. Originally used by the Nigerian army as a dietary requirement to re-energise the troops, Supermalt sales spread across Africa, the Caribbean and the UK. The mass migration of Afro-Caribbean people to the UK during the 1950’s and 1960’s (the ‘Windrush Generation’, who came to the UK to help fill Britain’s post-war labour requirements), and the resulting population growth during the 1970’s as they settled and started families, led to Supermalt becoming an integral part of the Afro-Caribbean diet. Traditional Caribbean fruit and vegetables were often expensive and hard to find, and Supermalt provided a cheap source of B-Vitamins and nutrition. Supermalt is loved by Afro-Caribbeans from all generations – mothers often give it to their children from the age of 7 or 8, thus ensuring a natural development of new consumers. Many people talk about how when they were growing up, “Supermalt was ALWAYS in the fridge”. It is consumed for a number of reasons, including the reason that it gives older Afro-Carribeans a feeling of a product from the place they were born. Furthermore, Supermalt can almost always be found at an Afro-Caribbean party! The packaging has changed little over the years, as consumers tell us they love the heritage of the product and don’t want ‘their drink’ to change. Bringing Supermalt into the present day the drink is still enjoyed by consumers of all ages at both big religious festivals like Easter and Christmas, community and family events and for every day general consumption. Social media has been embraced by Supermalt to allow us to develop an even closer connection with our consumers, who continue to provide valuable feedback on the brand that they know and love. (https://reapp.com.gh/supermalt-pack-of-6/)

Supermalt Original Description The non-alcoholic quality malt drink with B vitamins. Supermalt is the number one non-alcoholic malt beer in the UK that contains B-vitamins to support a healthy lifestyle. Pack size: 330ml (https://www.supermalt.com/product/#original)

Ingredients Water, Barley Malt, Glucose Syrup, Carbon Dioxide, Colour (E150c), Acid (Citric Acid), Liquorice, Nicotinamide, Pantothenol, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate, Pyridoxin Chloride (https://www.supermalt.com/product/#original)

SUPERMALT ORIGINAL MALT DRINK De nummer één alcoholvrije malt drank van hoge kwaliteit met B-vitamines, die een gezonde en actieve levensstijl ondersteunen. (https://www.unidexholland.com/nl/products/d002100-original-malt-drink)

Supermalt is een non-alcoholisch, caffeine vrije moutdrank met een zoete smaak Bevat vitamine B, mineralen en veel voedingsstoffen Deze donkerbruine drank smaakt gekoeld het lekkerst en is zeer voedzaam (https://www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi195864/supermalt-alcoholvrije-moutdrank)

The ingredients basically say everything. The “goodness” basically stops at Water and Barley Malt. It’s just downhill from there. The compound types are not specific and undeclared if added or not. An E-number colourant is generally to be avoided (E-numbers : E150 Caramel) and liquorice extracts need to be consumed with caution if a person needs to maintain a stable blood-pressure. The product as a whole is a very cheap and low quality product that is easy to produce and neither inventive or creative in any way, besides being able to be stored for prolonged periods without need of refrigeration. That the product is marketed as “healthy”, just because of an association to vitamins* (*either added or a by-product of a fermentation process) is rather grey area, because it is a misleading statement that suggests a general improvement of state, without being specific or any real substance to the claim being possible other than the popularly accepted “truth” that vitamins must be a good idea.** **which is an entirely different story Unfortunately this is the sort of product that is consumed without being properly scrutinised by the consumer. Ingredients Water, Barley Malt, Glucose Syrup, Carbon Dioxide, Colour (E150c), Acid (Citric Acid), Liquorice, Nicotinamide, Pantothenol, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate, Pyridoxin Chloride (https://www.quora.com/Is-supermalt-drink-healthy-or-good-for-you?share=1)

...based on its nutrition label it seems to be roughly the nutritional equivalent of a soda downed with a multivitamin tablet, though with 50% more calories. It has a little bit of protein. In moderation, I can't see how it would hurt you as long as it doesn't displace more nourishing beverages (like low-fat milk) or food from your diet or add additional calories to what you're already consuming. (https://www.quora.com/Is-supermalt-drink-healthy-or-good-for-you?share=1)

Ingrediënten Ingrediënten: Water, GERSTEMOUT (10.1%), GERST, suiker, kleurstof (E150c), drop, kooldioxide Allergie-informatie Bevat:Gerst, Glutenbevattende Granen Voedingswaarden Deze waarden gelden voor het onbereide product. Soort Per 100 Milliliter Energie 256 kJ (62 kcal) Vet 0 g waarvan verzadigd 0 g Koolhydraten 15 g waarvan suikers 13 g Eiwitten 0.1 g Zout 0.02 g (https://www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi195864/supermalt-alcoholvrije-moutdrank)

Nutrition

Typical Values Typical Values 100ml Bottle / % of RDA

Energy 270kJ 900kJ –

– (65kcal) (210kcal) –

Protein 0.8g 2.6g –

Carbohydrate 15g 50g –

Fat nil nil –

Thiamin (vitamin B1) 1.40mg 4.6mg / 100%

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) 0.80mg 2.6mg / 50%

Niacin (vitamin B3) 7.40mg 24mg / 40%

Vitamin B6 0.70mg 2.3mg / 35%

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) 1.50mg 5.0mg / 25% (https://www.supermalt.com/product/#original)

Supermalt's nutritional values (compared to milk, orange juice, cola and beer):

Per 100 ml* Supermalt® Milk (semi-skimmed) Orange Juice Cola Beer

Calories (kJ/kcal) 270/67 204/49 182/43 168/40 162/39

Fat (g) 0.00 1.60 0.10 0.00 0.00

Carbohydrates (g) 15.00 4.90 9.90 10.10 2.70

Proteins (g) 0.80 3.50 0.60 0.00 0.30

Vitamin B1 (mg) 1.40 0.04 0.06 0.00 0.00

Vitamin B2 (mg) 0.80 0.18 0.03 0.00 0.03

Vitamin B3 (mg) 7.40 0.10 0.30 - 0.30

Vitamin B5 (mg) 1.50 - - - -

Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.70 0.05 0.05 0.00 0.04

Vitamin C (mg) 5.00 1.00 39.00 0.00 0.00

Calcium (mg) 8.00 123.00 10.00 20.00 7.00

Iron (mg) 0.10 0.00 0.20 0.10 0.00

*Variation may occur in each category.[5] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermalt)

Leuk, ik had een blikje van 330 ml en dat is dus 3,3 x die inhoud dat is per 100 ml 96% van de aanbevolen dagelijkse hoeveelheid B1. 316% van de ADH!?

Beide smaken zoet, en doen denken aan wort. Ik vind het verrassend lekker. Het Biafra-verhaal is een beetje een verrassing. Ik had de naam weleens gelezen in Van Nul tot Nu, maar verder nooit echt beschouwd. Zo zie je maar dat achter elk bier (behalvede hype NEIPA's en Pastry Stouts dergelijke) een verhaal zit.