The Bakassi Dispute and the International Court of JusticePainos 1

On the 10th of October 2002 the International Court of Justice delivered the Bakassi decision, which, amongst other things, excised the resource rich land and maritime territory of Bakassi from Nigeria and transferred its legal title to Cameroon. These two countries under the auspices of the United Nations established the mechanism of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission to honour and implement their obligations under the ICJ decision. Over a decade after the ICJ decision this volume brings together academics and practitioners to assess the impact of this decision and the challenges and issues that have been raised in the course of its implementation. Hailed by some as a model of preventive diplomacy and a blueprint for the future, this timely assessment illuminates the difficulties in imposing such controversial decisions and considers whether this type of Mixed Commission is an adequate mechanism for implementing them.