CONFLICT
RESOLUTION: NIGERIAN’S CONTRIBUTION.
Nigeria as a nation has been involved in
CONFLICT resolution
and different peace keeping mission. Nigeria’s involvement in
conflict resolution in Africa is informed by the OAU clause of inviolability of African border, prevention of instability on the continent, and averting the internationalization of African disputes, and the clause in our foreign policy, chapter two, section 19, article D, it states that the respect for international law and treaty obligations as well as the seeking of settlement of international disputes by negotiation, meditation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication. The above stated facts are the reasoning for the involvement of Nigeria in conflict resolution.
Nigeria has been involved in conflict resolution for a long time now, in 1963, she sent troops to Congo on a peace keeping mission in that country. The difference between Togo and Republic of Benin in 1975 was peacefully resolved when Nigeria wades into the matter. In the case of Chad, Nigeria did not only sent troops to Chadian imbroglio, it also hosted two-reconciliation conference in Kano and Lagos. Nigeria also save OAU from disintegration after the organization’s two summits had been paralyzed by the Western Sahara conflict, her involvement in the recognition of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic {SADR} on the eve of OAU summit. Nigerian’s leadership role in conflict resolution in Africa was once again manifested in the formation of ECOWAS Monitoring Group {ECOMOG}. The body was formed by five ECOWAS member nation, namely Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Guinea with Nigeria playing the leading role, the body was formed for peace keeping mission and to meditate into the Liberia crisis. Nigeria was the largest financier of that mission and she equally has the largest numbers of personnel in it, ECOMOG did not only resolve the conflict in Liberia but also in Sierra Leone. Very recently, Nigeria has sent troops to Darfur in Sudan over the crisis in the country. Nigeria played an important role in the pulling down of apartheid regime in South Africa and the eventual release of Dr. Nelson Mandela, she also contributed to the attainment of independent for Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola.
The country is still involved in peace keeping mission and conflict resolution in Africa and indeed the world, she believe in the use of diplomatic means to resolving issue rather that using force.