Bilateralism and Inter State Relations between Nigeria and Cameroon

Abstract

The relationship between Nigeria and Cameroon dates back to pre-colonial times, the peoples in what today constitutes border communities shared common history and affinity. The advent of colonialism consequently infused arbitrary boundaries that did not respect those existing bonds, a fate complicated by the outcomes of the First World War. At Independence a plebiscite was conducted by the United Nations to determine the fate of the trust territories of British Northern Cameroon and Southern Cameroon. Bakassi Peninsular was at that time excluded, because its initial German territorial demarcation was in contention by Nigeria. The relations between both countries were hampered by military skirmishes over disputed territories along shared border areas. The boundary dispute was adjudicated at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and a verdict pronounced on 10 October 2002.  It is pertinent to adjudge that most of the skirmishes between the two countries are rooted in the contradictions arising from the imposed boundaries. This initially posed serious challenges for bilateralism and inter-state relations between them with implications for international relations in a dynamic and globalized world. The ICJ verdict led to the constitution of the Nigeria-Cameroon Mixed Commission by the UN in 2002 and the signing of the Greentree Agreement in 2006, the implementation of which has been fraught with some difficulties.  The paper set out to appraise bilateralism in the light of economic, security and diplomatic relations between the two countries.  Utilising the desk study methodology, it identified the challenges limiting bilateralism and inter-state relations as the Ambazonian crisis, hostile military relations and harassment by security forces. It concluded by proffering strategies for improving relations.