CAMEROON-NIGERIA MIXED COMMISSION MEETINGS

Final Communiqués

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SEVENTEENTH MEETING

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All Opening Statements

Communiqué adopted at the seventeenth meeting of
the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission
established pursuant to the Joint Geneva communiqué of 15 November 2002

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Yaoundé, 26 January 2007

1.     The Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, which was established pursuant to the Joint Communiqué adopted at the meeting held on 15th November 2002 in Geneva between His Excellency President Paul Biya of Cameroon and His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, in the presence of the Secretary General of the United Nations, held its Seventeenth Ordinary Meeting in Yaoundé on 25 and 26 January 2007. Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations chaired the deliberations of the Mixed Commission in the presence of the Vice Prime Minister, Amadou Ali of Cameroon, and Prince Bola Ajibola (CFR) of Nigeria, who led respectively the Cameroonian and Nigerian Delegations.

2.     The Mixed Commission considered and adopted the report of the 7th meeting of the Working Group on the Maritime Boundary which was held from 22 to 23 January 2007, the report of the 15 meeting of the Sub-Commission on Demarcation which was held from 24 to 25 January 2007, as well as the report on the second field visit of the Observer Team to the Bakassi Peninsula which was effected from 9 to 14 December 2006.

3.     The Mixed Commission considered and adopted the report of the 7th meeting of the Working Group on the Maritime Boundary. It was agreed that the Joint Technical Team set up by the Working Group should continue to examine the UN report on the geo-referencing data submitted to the Parties on the 23 January 2007. The Mixed Commission asked that the Joint Technical Team meet not later than 25 March 2007 in order to finalize the issues on geo - referencing work so that it can submit its conclusions for adoption by the Working Group prior to the next session of the Mixed Commission.

4.     The Mixed Commission considered and adopted the report of the Fifteenth meeting of the Sub-Commission on Demarcation. The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to intensify efforts on its land boundary demarcation activities. The Mixed Commission commended the excellent work of demarcating 462 kilometres during Phase One of the field assessment of the land boundary. To that end, it decided that Phase Two of the field assessment of the land boundary would commence from 12 February 2007 for a period of six and half weeks, when hopefully the Joint Technical Team would have covered at least a total of 275 kilometres. In order to expedite its work, it was decided that the Joint Technical Team should be divided into two groups to work simultaneously.

5.     The Mixed Commission decided that areas of disagreement identified should not delay the progress of the on-going work and that these areas should be left for appropriate resolution at its session at the end of the evaluation process of the land boundary demarcation.  The Mixed Commission is hopeful that an additional 500 kilometres would be evaluated by the end of 2007.

6.     The Mixed Commission also undertook to resolve, as soon as possible, pending issues on the demarcation activities along the boundary in Kerawa River and Zigague-Sahle-Mada sectors.

7.      The Mixed Commission noted with satisfaction the approval of the report of the UN Observer Team on the latter’s second visit to Bakassi from 9 to 14 December 2006 by the Follow-up Committee and equally adopted it. While commending the Team, the Commission requested the Observers to be mindful of the needs of the affected population, the protection of their rights and educating them on their obligations. The Commission lauded the efforts of the Government of Cameroon in making appropriate provisions in its 2007 year budget for the rehabilitation of infrastructures and the provision of social amenities for the benefit of the affected communities. The Mixed Commission also agreed with the proposal by the UN Secretariat to set up an Office in Calabar, for effective monitoring.  The modalities for setting up this Office will be proposed by the UN Secretariat.

8.     The Mixed Commission exchanged views on the situation in the Lake Chad Basin, in particular on the recession of the lake’s water and on its impact on the communities’ livelihood. It also noted the need for proper protection and management of the environment in order to avoid any negative impact on the Basin. It reiterated its appeal to the Member States of the Lake Chad Basin Commission on the need to organize a Summit to address these issues.