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How did Masinissa and Numidia put pressure on Carthage after the Second Punic War?

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Historical map of the western Mediterranean region during the Punic Wars, showing Carthaginian territory in orange and Roman territory in green around 270 BCE. Hannibal's route from Spain, across the Alps, and into Italy between 219 and 202 BCE is marked with a red line. Key battle sites with years are labeled throughout Spain, Italy, Sicily, and North Africa. — Punic Wars The Punic wars led to the destruction of Carthage.

Following the Second Punic War, King Masinissa of Numidia exerted significant pressure on Carthage by leveraging his status as a loyal Roman ally. The peace treaty of 201 BCE prohibited Carthage from engaging in military conflict without Roman permission, a restriction that Masinissa exploited to systematically encroach upon and annex Carthaginian territory.123

Because Rome generally favored the expansion of its ally as long as it served to keep Carthage weakened, Masinissa was able to seize land with impunity for nearly 50 years. This persistent territorial aggression forced Carthage into a vulnerable position, eventually leading to a direct confrontation when Carthage attempted to defend its remaining lands against Numidian incursions in 151 BCE. Rome used this defensive action as a pretext to declare war, ultimately resulting in the Third Punic War and the total destruction of Carthage in 146 BCE.1243