Nduonofit Okon Isana

Philip Uzo Afaha

Abstract

This paper investigates the transition of the Bakassi Peninsula dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon from a protracted military confrontation to a landmark diplomatic resolution. Centered on the 2006 Green Tree Agreement (GTA), the research evaluates the efficacy of international legal frameworks and mediated diplomacy in resolving territorial conflicts within the African post- colonial context. The study begins by analyzing the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, which awarded sovereignty to Cameroon, and examines the subsequent "compliance crisis" that threatened regional stability. The core of the paper focuses on the GTA as a bespoke implementation mechanism that bridged the gap between a rigid legal judgment and the complex political realities on the ground. Utilizing primary diplomatic documents, ICJ proceedings, and secondary geopolitical analysis, the paper Assessed the influence of the United Nations and "witness states" (USA, UK, France, and Germany) in providing the political guarantees necessary for Nigeria’s phased withdrawal. Evaluating the protection of the rights of displaced and resident populations, and how the GTA addressed the humanitarian dimensions of territorial transfer. The findings suggest that while the GTA successfully averted a full-scale war and established a "legalistic peace," it faced significant challenges regarding local populations' "belonging" and internal political backlash. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the Green Tree Agreement serves as a pivotal model for the African Union’s "silencing the guns" initiative. It concludes that the success of the Bakassi model rests not merely on legal finality, but on a commitment to incremental transition, international oversight, and the prioritization of regional economic integration over narrow territorial nationalism.

   

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Published: 2026

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