CAMEROON-NIGERIA MIXED COMMISSION MEETINGS

Final Communiqués

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4th Special Meeting

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COMMUNIQUÉ ADOPTED AT THE FOURTH SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE CAMEROON-NIGERIA MIXED COMMISSION

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Abuja, 06 July 2006

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 Fourth Extraordinary Session in Abuja on 6 July 2006.  Mr. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, chaired the meeting of the Commission while Vice-Prime Minister Amadou Ali of Cameroon and Prince Bola Ajibola, CFR, of Nigeria headed their respective delegations.

2. Two high-level Nigerian officials were the guests of honour at the opening ceremony and made brief presentations. They were Major General Abdullahi S. Mukhtar, National Security Advisor and Sunday Ehindero, Inspector General Federal Police.

3. Pursuant to the commitments made in the framework of the Greentree Summit, the agenda of this Extraordinary Session of the Mixed Commission was essentially focused on the implementation of the schedule of withdrawal of the Nigerian troops from the Bakassi peninsula.

4. In its presentation to the Mixed Commission, the delegation of Nigeria has among others indicated that practical arrangements were being laid out and that they will soon be communicated to the United Nations, Cameroon and the State witnesses of the Greentree at the first meeting of the Follow-up Committee in Geneva on 10 July 2006.

5. The delegation of the United Nations has expressed satisfaction at Nigeria’s announcement and has requested that it be followed by concrete measures consistent with the 12 June 2006 Greentree agreement.

6. The delegation of Cameroon has said that it was taking note of Nigeria’s declaration. It has added that Cameroon would take appropriate measures to facilitate the withdrawal of Nigeria’s military forces. In this regard, it requested a coordinated approach of the withdrawal operation between Cameroon, Nigeria and the United Nations.

7. During a meeting behind closed doors, held in the fringes of the session, between the Chairman of the Mixed Commission, the Head of the Delegation of Cameroon and two member of his delegation, the Chief of the delegation of Nigeria, also accompanied by two of his colleagues, has provided with the date of accomplishment of the withdrawal of Nigerian troops.

8. The Chairman of the Mixed Commission has declared that he would forward the information provided above to the Chairman of the Follow-up Committee, along with a note summarizing the talks of the Mixed Commission Observers’ Coordinator with the Chief of the General Staff of the Nigerian army.