Abstract
The Bakassi Kingdom provides an excellent opportunity to examine the ques- tion of identity from the individual level to the community, state and external levels. On the one hand, this peninsula has become a continuous bone of con- tention between the Cameroonian and Nigerian states since soon after inde- pendence. Indigenes of the region have never accepted the existence of the colonial boundaries. Regular border skirmishes raised international attention in the 1990s when the two sides became involved in a protracted war over the sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula, an area rich in oil reserves. On the other hand, this border has never hindered the large-scale circulation of people and goods in the borderlands. This article will outline some of the underlying rea- sons for the frequent border disputes between the Cameroonian and Nigerian states since independence, culminating in the Bakassi Peninsula conflict in the 1990s, and then explore the impact on relations between the Anglophone Cameroonian and Nigerian resident populations using four distinct perspectives.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call