The Role of Traditional Rulers in Cross-Border Diplomacy: A Study of the Kanuri Kingdom

This study examines the informal diplomatic role of traditional rulers, particularly the institutions of the Kanuri kingdom spanning Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, in managing cross-border community relations and contributing to conflict mitigation in the Lake Chad Basin. Traditional rulers occupy a unique position in African political life, commanding legitimacy among populations who may distrust formal state institutions, and often maintaining communication channels that cross international borders established by colonial demarcation. Drawing on traditional authority theory and the concept of track-two diplomacy, this research investigates how the Shehu of Borno and other Kanuri traditional leaders have engaged with cross-border community conflicts, displaced population management, and informal peace initiatives between 2019 and 2024. The study employs a qualitative methodology, drawing on semi-structured interviews with palace officials and local government administrators in Borno State, document analysis of traditional council resolutions, and secondary literature on informal diplomacy in Africa. The research specifically assesses the relationship between formal government counterterrorism strategies and traditional diplomatic interventions in the North East zone. Findings are expected to show that traditional diplomacy fills significant governance gaps but operates without formal state recognition or resources, limiting its scalability and sustainability. Keywords: traditional diplomacy, Kanuri, Lake Chad, track-two diplomacy, North East Nigeria.