The Ethnic Factor in the Nigeria- Cameroon Border Dispute

ABSTRACT

Although the dynamics of the Nigeria-Cameroon border conflicts in their entirety has attracted considerable attention

In recent times, no serious study has been conducted to find out the impact of the ethnic interests of the people living in the Bakassi and the link between the ICJ ruling and the secessionist bid of the people as well, on the Nigeria-Cameroon border problems.

The central aim of this study, therefore, is to analyze the implications the ethnic interests of the people residing in the peninsular and the ICJ verdict pose on the entire Nigeria-Cameroon border problems.

The study is guided by two main questions; first, “Have the ethnic interest of the people living in the Bakassi, had any impacts on the entire dynamics of Nigeria-Cameroon border problems?”
Second, “Has the international court of justice ruling, inspired the secessionist bid of Nigerians residing in the peninsular?

To this, it is an analysis of two human factors thrown up by a conflict situation as implicated in the conflict. Therefore, two general points emerge from the study.

First, pressure from the real victims of the conflicts – that is those whose livelihood chances are directly threatened by the conflict is often critical in explaining the conflict.

INTRODUCTION

Background of Study
Boundaries remain critical sources of discord among many nations in the international system today. The possibility of border disagreement escalating into war also continues to be real.

Confronted by this reality in the world, scholars and experts have developed many methods for the resolution of conflicting border claims in the international community.

Many of these depend on a host of factors (including, the historical background of the states involved, their general level of economic attainment, the nature of the borders themselves, the specific socio-economic cum political issues along disputed borders, as well as their domestic political and economic structures),

For their success in deflecting border crisis. Most of these elements underlie the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary dispute” (Fombo, 2006: 191).

Nevertheless, most border conflicts between and among African states, no doubt are products of evolution and change.

Nigeria – Cameroon boundary dispute, not an exception, could be traceable to among other crucial factors, the aftermath of the European imperialism on the continent of Africa, as the root.

In other words, the emergence of many African states from colonial rule in the 1950s and 60s consequently brought grim prospects of widespread border conflict.

These fears were actually borne out of the fact of, European diplomats who had only limited knowledge of our local realities, artificially forging most of the boundaries of African territories.

REFERENCES

Akinyemi, B. (1986). Foreign policy and federalism. Lagos: Macmillian.
Anene, J. C (1970). The International Boundaries Nigeria: The Francoork of an Emergent African Nation. London: Longman.
Anyabolu, O. I. (2000). Nigeria: Past to the Present. Enugu: Classic Publishing Company.Limited.
Anyaele, J.U. (1994). Comprehensive Government for WASSCE. Lagos: Johnson Publishers Limited.
Asiwaju, A. I. (984) Partitioned Africans: Ethnic Relations Across Africa’s International Boundaries. London: C. Hurst and Co.
Asogwa, F.C (1999). Understanding International Relations. Enugu: VOUGASEN LTD.

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