Communiqué adopted at
the eighteenth meeting of
the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission
established
pursuant to the Joint Geneva communiqué of 15 November 2002
*
Abuja 6 April 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 Eighteenth Ordinary Meeting in Abuja
on 5 and 6 April 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 8th meeting of the
Working Group on the Maritime Boundary which was held on 3 April 2007, the
report of the 16th meeting of the Sub-Commission on Demarcation which was
held on 4 April 2007, the report on the third field visit of the Observer
Team to the Bakassi Peninsula which was effected from 12 to 13 February 2007
as well as the report of the mission to the Lake Chad Basin Commission and
other activities relating to the strengthening of confidence building
measures. The meeting also exchanged views on security measures in the
field.
3. The
Mixed Commission considered and adopted the report of the 8th meeting of the
Working Group on the Maritime Boundary, held on 3 April 2007. It decided to
expedite the completion process of the execution of the ICJ judgment of 10
October 2002 concerning the Maritime Boundary. In that regard, it will hold
an extraordinary session in Abuja on 10 and 11 May 2007. To that end, it
directed the Joint Technical Team to finalise the conversion of the British
Admiralty Chart 3433, 1994 edition containing the boundary line approved by
the Parties and adopted by the Mixed Commission into Datum WGS84. The Joint
Technical Team will compare the different options obtained from the points
surveyed during the field mission at sea carried out from 16 to 26 November
2006, and notably the 4-points option proposed by the Cameroonian party and
the 14-points option presented by the UN experts. It will also consider any
other option from the surveyed points that will realistically respect the
ToR or, as much as possible, which is as close as possible to the ToR. The
Mixed Commission will decide on the final option to be adopted when it meets
in extraordinary session in Abuja on 10 and 11 May 2007.
4. The
Mixed Commission considered and adopted the report of the Sixteenth meeting
of the Sub-Commission on Demarcation. The Commission commended the excellent
demarcation work that made it possible to cover an additional distance of
235 km during Phase Two of the field assessment exercise, thus bringing the
total distance covered to about 700 km of the land boundary. The Mixed
Commission decided that Phase Three (A) of the field assessment exercise
should be carried out from 14 May to 24 June 2007, when it is hoped that the
Joint Technical Team could cover an additional distance of 205 km.
5. In
order to facilitate the work of the Joint Technical Team, it was decided
that adequate logistics and facilities, including additional transportation
and communication, be made available to it. To that end, the United Nations
promised to provide a helicopter.
6. The
Mixed Commission further reiterated its commitment to resolve as soon as
possible, all pending issues relating to the demarcation exercise along the
land boundary. It reaffirmed the decision taken at the 17th session that the
points of disagreement should not delay the demarcation work and that these
would be resolved at the end of the demarcation exercise.
7. The
Mixed Commission noted with satisfaction the approval of the report of the
UN Observer Team on the latter’s third visit to the Bakassi peninsula from
12 to 13 February 2006 by the Follow-up Committee and its adoption. It hoped
that everything would be done to meet the socio-economic needs of the
affected populations, especially in terms of provision of education and
health infrastructures, potable water and environmental protection. The
Mixed Commission also took due note of the imminent opening of a UN Office
in Calabar. To that effect, it was informed that the Government of Nigeria
had authorised the opening of the said office.
8. The
Mixed Commission was informed of the report of the mission to the
Secretariat of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) within the framework of
the appeal by the Mixed Commission to the member States of that organisation
to organise a Summit on the worrisome situation of the Lake Chad. It
reaffirmed the important role that the LCBC could play in strengthening
cross-border cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria. The Mixed Commission
was also informed of the signing by the two Parties, of a Memorandum of
Understanding on the road rehabilitation project for the Abakaliki-Mutengene
road and hoped that the execution of this important project would be
expedited.
9.
Lastly, the Mixed Commission reiterated the commitment made by the two
parties relating to the sensitisation of the local populations and the
security of the technical team in the field. It hoped that the authorities
of the two countries would take the necessary security measures to
facilitate the demarcation and monitoring exercises.
10. The
Nineteenth Meeting of the Mixed Commission shall take place in Yaoundé on 5
and 6 July 2007 with the possible extension to 7 July 2007.
