The commitments had been adopted at least partly to curry favour with Western powers critical of the military's record on human rights and democracy inside Nigeria, but anxious to avoid involvement in solving Africa's messy civil wars themselves. May. That might not prove so easy. Nigeria's biggest problem is Sierra Leone, where troops were first despatched in 1991 and something approaching a quarter of the army is presently deployed. After massive international pressure, the protagonists in the conflict there have, with ill-concealed reluctance, hinted at peace talks. But if that initiative fails, a new government will have to choose between remaining to fight a war that most concede cannot be won, with the political risk associated with forcing a still politically powerful military to accept the humiliation of defeat.
Border disputes Other problems loom as well.
Nigeria is embroiled in border disputes with three neighbouring states in areas thought to be rich in oil reserves. Abacha's death concerned central African neighbours Its influence extends to half a dozen countries in the region where increasingly shaky and impoverished governments were helped to power by the late dictator, General Sani Abacha. The flurry of visits to Abuja following his death last June by leaders from across West and Central Africa was testament to the pivotal role Nigeria still plays in the region's affairs. But after decades of mismanagement and corruption, there are limits to what a nation that once had pretensions of superpower status within the continent can deliver. And with the move to majority rule in South Africa, its claims on moral leadership have equally been eclipsed.