DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATION AND MEDIATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIFFERENT APPROACH TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Diplomatic negotiation and mediation emerged as critical instruments in conflict resolution; these processes not only aim to halt hostilities but also lay the groundwork for conflict resolution and sustainable peace. The study examined various approaches to diplomatic negotiation and mediation, highlighting their roles in resolving intrastate and interstate conflicts. It specifically focuses on the conflict resolution strategies employed in the Nigerian-Cameroonian Bakassi Peninsula and the Niger Delta conflicts. The study methodology is historical and premised on the use of secondary data. Thus, the study contends that both conflicts involved extensive diplomatic negotiations and mediation efforts, emphasising peaceful resolution over military confrontation. The Bakassi Peninsula dispute was primarily an interstate conflict resolved through legal frameworks and international mediation. At the same time, the Niger Delta crisis was an intrastate conflict resolved through socio-economic solutions and local mediation efforts. The Bakassi dispute relied heavily on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling and the involvement of the United Nations. In contrast, the Niger Delta crisis relied on the Nigerian government's developmental commissions in the region and the Amnesty program. The study concludes that diplomatic negotiation and mediation, when effectively implemented, can lead to lasting peace and stability in any society.