Abstract
The rising spate of international border conflicts has generated a lot of concerns,
controversies, and debates over the implications and consequences for diplomatic
relations among African States. Due to the prevailing international boundary disputes,
the basis upon which the territorial integrity of African States can be established is
largely questioned with respect to pre-colonial natural boundaries and the postcolonial political boundaries. More worrisome is the fact that the resolution and
management processes of the international border conflicts among African States are
scarcely handled by African Institutions; instead, they are handled by westerncontrolled institutions thereby expanding the spheres of vested interests and
diplomatic maneuvering beyond African States. Thus, this study examines the impacts
of international border conflicts on diplomatic relations among African States with
comparative insights drawn from the experiences of the Nigeria-Cameroon and
Ghana-Ivory Coast border conflicts. Qualitative Research Method was adopted while
Territorial Peace Theory was applied. The objectives of the study are to: (i) identify the
basis upon which the international courts passed verdicts over the Nigeria-Cameroon
and Ivory Coast-Ghana border conflicts; (ii) examine how the Nigeria-Cameroon and
Ivory Coast-Ghana border conflicts affect their diplomatic relations. The major
findings of the study are: (a) the International Court of Justice passed verdict over the
Nigeria-Cameroon land and maritime border conflict based on the principles of uti
possidetis and inviolability; while the Special Chambers of ITLOS ruled on the Ivory
Coast-Ghana maritime border conflict based on the principles of equi-distance and
relevant circumstances; (b) although the border conflicts affected Nigeria-Cameroon
and Ivory Coast-Ghana diplomatic relations negatively, it was not to the extent of the
countries severing their diplomatic ties. Hence, the study enjoins other African States
having border conflicts to adopt legal options as Nigeria and Cameroon as well as
Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire did to sustain their diplomatic relations.