For Count Von Rosen and Professor Wole Soyinka
Alao Abiodun
By Igboeli Arinze
Mercenaries fighting wars are as old as warfare itself, warring nations have engaged these soldiers of fortune in battle, leaving a litany of tales about their exploits, their shame as well as their greed! Africa as a continent in modern times did also experience the influx of mercenaries as witnessed in Congo Kinshasa and a number War fronts including the three year war fought between the Republic of Biafra and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The likes of Rolf Steiner, Taffy Williams , Marc Gossens, Captain Robert Faulques and co became involved in Biafra as part of Jean Focart’s Africa policy, these mercenaries never did much for the Biafran war effort as General Alex Madiebo and others posit in their numerous recollections of the war. However, one mercenary stands out of these lot, for me it will be unfair to label him as a mercenary per se, but for a lack of a better word to qualify him and his activities during the Nigerian/Biafran War. That man is Count Gustaf Von Rosen, Swedish Aviator who went by the nick name “ The Devil Pilot” who fought for Biafra for free. Von Rosen touched by the sufferings of the Biafran people then offered his services to the fledging Republic and tried as much as he could to change the course of the war with the five MFI-9Bs nicknamed as