Communiqué adopted at
the ELEVENTH meeting of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission
established
pursuant to the Joint Geneva communiqué of 15 November 2002
*
18-19
August 2004
1.
The Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, which was established
pursuant to the Joint Communiqué adopted at the meeting held on
15 November 2002, in Geneva, between their
Excellencies Presidents Paul Biya of Cameroon and Olusegun Obasanjo of
Nigeria, in the presence of the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
held its Eleventh meeting in Yaounde on 18 and 19 August 2004. Mr. Ahmedou
Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, chaired the meeting of the Commission while Senior Minister Amadou
Ali of Cameroon and Prince Bola Ajibola (CFR) of Nigeria headed their
respective delegations.
2.
The Mixed Commission noted with satisfaction the visit of
President Olusegun Obasanjo to Cameroon on 28 and 29 July 2004.
3.
The Mixed Commission considered and adopted the final report
of the Working Group on Withdrawal and Transfer of Authority along the Land
Boundary area which took place on
13 July 2004.
It noted that it successfully presided over ceremonies in NARKI, NDABAKURA
and BURHAWANGO, symbolizing the withdrawals and the transfers of authority.
It also considered and adopted the first report of its Observer Personnel
following its field visit one month after the withdrawal and transfer of
authority in that area. It noted with satisfaction the general state of
peace and good relations prevailing among the population and the new
authorities in the area in the aftermath of the transfer of authority.
4.
Regarding the operational phase of the withdrawal and
transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula, the Mixed Commission decided
to hold a meeting at the level of the Heads of delegations in Yaounde on 29
August 2004 aimed at finalizing its practical modalities in order to meet
the deadline of 15 September 2004 in conformity with its earlier approved
Working Calendar and endorsed by the two Heads of State.
5.
The Mixed Commission considered the report of the Working
Group on the Maritime Boundary presented after its second meeting held in
Yaounde on 13 and 14 August 2004. In this
regard, it decided that each Party will submit to the Chairman by the end of
this month a proposal containing its methodology of the implementation of
the ICJ’judgment including a map incorporating the delineation of the
maritime boundary as delimited by the Court in its decision of 10 October
2002.
6.
The Mixed Commission adopted the report of the Tenth meeting
of its Sub-Commission on Demarcation, including the report of its Senior
Cartographic Consultant on the multi-task approach which includes the
production of the preliminary image maps and the availability of the image
mapping on a sheet-by-sheet basis progressively along the boundary. This new
approach will allow the early assessment of the boundary by the Joint
Technical Team and provide significant information on the demarcation. The
Mixed Commission noted with satisfaction the new timetable proposed by its
Senior Cartographic Consultant for the demarcation exercise. It also urges
the UN Procurement Division to proceed with immediate advertisement for the
various Demarcation Contracts, so that the exercise may be completed on
schedule.
7.
The Twelfth meeting of the Mixed Commission
will be held in
Abuja from 7
to 8 October 2004,
with a possible extension to 9 October
2004.
