ABSTRACT

The Nigeria-Cameroon Bakassi crisis, centered on the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula, was a protracted territorial dispute that nearly led to war between the two nations. The crisis originated from the colonial-era ambiguities in boundary definitions. It escalated in the early 1990s, with both countries claiming sovereignty over the resource-rich peninsula. In 2002, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in favor of Cameroon, citing historical treaties. Despite initial resistance, Nigeria eventually accepted the ruling, leading to the signing of the Greentree Agreement in 2006, which outlined the terms of Nigeria's withdrawal and the transfer of authority to Cameroon. The resolution of this crisis through diplomatic channels and adherence to international legal processes underscores the importance of international law and peaceful conflict resolution.