SUB-REGIONAL SECURITY AND NIGERIAN FOREIGN POLICY

In: Asian affairs: journal of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, Band 84, Heft 335, S. 195-210

Abstract

GEOGRAPHICAL PROPINQUITY LINKS IN AN INEXTRICABLE MANNER THE SECURITY INTERESTS OF CONTIGUOUS STATES. EACH NATIONAL TERRITORY IS, IPSO FACTO, A POTENTIAL BASE FOR THE DESTABILISATION OF A NEIGHBOURING STATE. AS DEVELOPING LOW-TECHNOLOGY COUNTRIES, NIGERIA AND ALL ITS IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS ARE DEVOID OF NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES; THIS FACT RENDERS THEIR SHEER PHYSICAL PROXIMITY THE MORE IMPORTANT SINCE ANY CREDIBLE THREAT TO EACH STATE'S NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY MUST NECESSARILY BE RELATED TO ACTIONS OR ACTIVITIES WITHIN EACH STATE. IN THIS REGARD, SEVERAL SITUATIONS HAVE ARISEN IN THE RECENT PAST, IN BOTH NIGERIA AND IN SOME OF THE NEIGHBOURING STATES WHICH CLEARLY CONSTITUTED A THREAT TO THE SECURITY OF PARTS OF THE IMMEDIATE SUB-REGION. IT APPEARS THAT THE PREPAREDNESS OF MANY OF THESE COUNTRIES TO ENTER INTO DEFENCE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE ERSTWHILE COLONIAL POWERS WAS DICTATED BY A CONSCIOUS DESIRE TO SAFEGUARD THE INDEPENDENCE AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF THE NATION-STATE PER SE, AND, BY IMPLICATION, THE PARTICULAR INTERESTS OF THE INCUMBENT REGIME.