ABSTRACT
Superimposed boundaries generate conflict by creating a disjunction between the interactions of the sociocultural system on the one hand, and the political system on the other. For ease of analysis, this chapter adopts the methodology of a zonal approach to the analysis of African international boundaries disputes. This involves an examination of the history and developments of boundary disputes within the area of membership of the African Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The chapter describes the legal and political aspects of the dispute in more detail in order to highlight the workings of the mediation route. Border disputes continue to pose a real security threat in the East African region. One disputed border is the Songwe River that forms the boundary between Malawi and Tanzania. The maritime border between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria was settled in 2000, allowing Equatorial Guinea to continue exploitation of its oil fields and to maintain a unitisation scheme with Nigeria.
