150 Borders without belonging: statelessness, displacement, and human insecurity in post-han- Institutional failure also characterizes the post-handover governance landscape. Despite the international community’s celebration of the Greentree Agreement as a diplomatic success (United Nations 2008), both Nigeria and Cameroon have struggled to implement sustainable frameworks for borderland development, social protection, and civic inclusion. Anthony (2014) and Taiwo and Igwebuike (2015) note that the absence of inclusive governance structures has allowed corruption and clientelism to flourish, particularly in the administration of relief and resettlement programs. The African Union’s muted engagement in the aftermath of the transfer further highlights the limitations of continental bodies in safeguarding the human rights of communities affected by legal boundary shifts (Baye 2010; Ngalim 2016). Public discourse and media coverage have played a critical role in shaping national and international perceptions of the crisis. Taiwo and Igwebuike (2015) demonstrate how Nigerian and Cameroonian media predominantly adopted state-centric and nationalist narratives that neglected the voices of displaced residents. This discursive framing has reinforced official versions of “peaceful resolution” while invisibilizing the continuing suffering and statelessness on the ground (Otora 2022; Macdonald 2024). As a result, the legitimacy of the legal solution is contested not only in political forums but also in the lived experience of border communities who remain unrecognized, unprotected, and unheard. In essence, the Bakassi Peninsula case illustrates the paradox of legal peace. While sovereignty was redefined through international adjudication, the human costs, statelessness, displacement, psychological trauma, and institutional abandonment have remained unresolved. Legal closure has not translated into social justice or human security. Scholars have thus increasingly called for a rethinking of post-border conflict governance in Africa, one that prioritizes inclusive citizenship, gender justice, and participatory decision-making (Manby 2016; Odinkalu 2012; Nwoko 2015). The Bakassi experience offers a cautionary tale: that peace secured through legal fiat but devoid of local legitimacy and social equity may only entrench deeper and longer-lasting forms of insecurity in Africa’s borderlands. Brazilian Journal of African Studies | Porto Alegre | v. 10, n. 19, Jan./Jun. 2025 | p. 144-169