The Impact Of The United Nations Mediation In African Territorial Conflict

Just as conflict is part of everyday life, mediation can be done and is practicedevery day and everywhere. It is a way of reaching decisions in a cooperative,non-hierarchical way, allowing for clear and open communication processes.Conflicts can be resolved in a formal manner through courts, arbitration, diplomacyand mediation, or an informal manner through friends, colleagues, religious andcommunity leaders, and dialogue. The way in which people resolve their disputes hasan impact on how societies and institutions are governed. The war in Bakassi hastaken its toll on the people of that area for several years now and has witnessed peoplefrom Bakassi facing some of the worst effects of armed conflict known to man. Thisstudy investigated the use of international mediation (that is the UN) in themanagement of difficult conflict with a specific case study on the Bakassi peninsulaconflict between Cameroon and Nigeria. It focused on the United Nation (UN)mediation in African Territorial Conflict and its impact on the conflict in BakassiPeninsula, using conflict resolution as a technique in relation to the internationalrelations theories which has been used as a basis for conflict resolution practices. Thestudy is conducted with a document review, content analysis on selected documentson mediation and United Nation and its impact on African conflict, and this wassupported by few strategic questions. The findings as well as the researcher‘s findingand discussion in the study in order to assist the future work of conflict managementspecialists and other stakeholders who have devoted their efforts to the recovery ofareas emerging from conflicts.This study is consisting of four chapters organized as follows. Each of its fourchapters covers a little step in the process of mediation, identifying what needs to bedone at that step and how best to accomplish. In chapter one, it commences with thebackground of the study topic to be discussed, aim/objective of the study; significanceof the study, the Methodology and the research achievement; and also review theliterature review consulted during the research process, relating the literature to issuesin the research question, pointing out how the literature highlights the issues andprovided theoretical background that provides an overview of the research study thatgive an in-depth introduction of the conflict that serves as the case study of the Nigerian and Cameroon Bakassi Peninsula conflict. The reality confronting Africaafter independence was that, unless the conflicts had pervaded different sub regions ofthe continent were resolved; there would be no hope for the lofty goals of economicintegration, development and prosperity. It was impossible to achieve such growth inan atmosphere of instability. In each sub-region, countries that are not experiencingcivil war are dealing with the consequences of wars in neighboring states in differentways. In chapter two; it provide the theoretical framework and the key concept on thestudy; conflict resolution theory and the unit responsible for mediation assistancewithin the UN‘organization is the Department of Political Affairs which plays acentral role in United Nations efforts to prevent and resolve deadly conflict around theAfrican continent and world. Where the Secretary-General‘s diplomatic good officesare employed to help bring warring parties toward peace or to prevent political andarmed conflicts from escalating, DPA is typically working behind the scenes to defineand plan the mission and to provide guidance and backing to mediators. In Bakassi,former Secretary General Kofi Annan used his diplomatic services to assist the partiesin coming to an understanding by creating the Nigeria-Cameroon Mixed Commission(CNMC).The Bakassi case is the living proof that parties in a conflict can actuallyabandon arms and start talking the same language. In accordance with the parties,created a mediation team with members from both Cameroon and Nigeria and headedby his Special Representative to West Africa. The panels of mediators worked hand inhand until the parties reached an agreement. The Bakassi mediation was a very specialone and is an inspirational example for future international mediation. In chapter threeit consist of data analysis and the history of the case study (the Bakassi Conflict) anddiscuss the Bakassi mediation process with an emphasis on the roles played by theparties and the mediation team and its impact. In this study, an analysis has beenundertaken to determine the nature and degree to which the variables in each of thesecategories affect mediation outcomes. The results indicate that dispute intensity,mediator strategies, and dispute issues exert the greatest influence on the effectivenessof international mediation. A complex set of other factors, including the timing ofentry into mediation, the power disparity between the disputants and the nature of thedisputants‘former relations also have an effect, though somewhat weaker, onmediation outcomes. The impact of the UN mediation is centered on the need forpeople to truly hear each other on a deeper level than is possible in litigation. Mediation parties craft their own resolutions that work for them in the long term,rather than having a settlement imposed by a court. Mediation also allows parties theopportunity to work through emotional issues that are left unattended in the legalsystem. Parties who work through mediation have a much better chance of preservingon-going relationships. Mediation also encourages parties to learn effectivenegotiation skills. The researcher has described how the CNMC used mediation as aconflict resolution technique in order to bring about a successful outcome in theBakassi Peninsula. All the activities were geared towards peacemaking and theprovision of state sovereignty and the respect of state boundaries; not only forCameroon and Nigeria, but for all war-affected areas world-wide and in Africa inparticular. In trying to meet these goals however, the mediation team faced a numberof challenges that it must deal with and overcome on a daily basis. The role played bymediators and mediation teams is a key ingredient in the qualitative success ofmediation. This means knowing who the main actors in the conflict are, andunderstanding each party‘s point without any preferences. Mediators have to beneutral at all times of the mediation and always show understanding of each party‘spoint of view. The impact of the UN mediation in African conflict has over the yearsproven to be highly successful; therefore, it will be valuable to assess his magic inmediating conflicts in our continent. In the last chapter the researcher discussed thefindings of the study. The major themes, sub-themes and categories were analyzedand discussed in detail while focusing on the aim of the study which was to exploreand describe the dynamics of the UN mediation process in the Bakassi conflict; thedemarcation of land boundaries; the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission whereinvolved in the mediation process; and peacemaking and reconciliation were brokendown into several sub-themes and categories, which the researcher discovered wereall in line with the concept of building peace in Africa which informs this study. Asuccessful outcome in international mediation can be determined by the effectivenessof the mediation process; essentially the impact of different mediators and mediationbehavior on mediation outcomes in international relations.