separatist

Less than 20 years before, Montreal lost its status as Canada’s financial center to Toronto when the separatist Parti Quebecois came to power in provincial elections.

"What signal is the Japanese leader trying to send to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces?" he added.

The junta had popular support when it took power, promising to deal with the long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.

Another Biafran separatist group has also claimed to have played a key role in promoting the "Christian genocide" narrative in the US Congress.

The issue has long been a cause celebre among the US political right as well as separatist groups in Nigeria's mostly Christian southeast who have been lobbying Washington to support their cause.