Meeting with Annan, Cameroon and Nigeria agree to follow ICJ border decision

Following a meeting in Paris today with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the leaders of Cameroon and Nigeria agreed to abide by a decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on a border dispute between the two countries and to restore their friendly relations.

According to a statement issued by a spokesman for the Secretary-General, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Paul Biya of Cameroon met in Mr. Annan’s presence to discuss the Bakassi Peninsula, as well as other issues of interest.

In 1994, Cameroon asked the ICJ to rule on a dispute “relat[ing] essentially to the question of sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula,” which it claimed was in part under military occupation by Nigeria, and to determine the maritime boundary between the countries.

Later that year, Yaoundé extended the case to a further dispute relating to “the question of sovereignty over a part of the territory of Cameroon in the area of Lake Chad,” which it claimed was also occupied by Nigeria.

In their meeting today, both Presidents agree to respect and implement the pending ICJ decision, establish an implementation mechanism, with UN support, and resume ministerial-level meetings of the Joint Commission on 30 September in Abuja, according to the statement.

The two Presidents also agreed on the need for confidence-building measures, including the eventual demilitarization of the Peninsula, with the possibility of international observers to monitor the withdrawal of all troops. They further decided on an early visit to Nigeria by President Biya, and agreed to avoid inflammatory statements or declarations on the Bakassi issue.

The statement said both leaders recognized that the matter must be seen in the wider context of the overall relationship between Nigeria and Cameroon, and expressed their determination to restore “the fraternal and neighbourly relations” that existed between the two countries until recently. The two leaders also discussed possibilities for economic cooperation, including joint ventures in the water and electricity sectors.