Communiqué adopted at
the twelfth meeting of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission
established
pursuant to the Joint Geneva communiqué of 15 November 2002
*
21-22 October 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 Twelfth meeting in Abuja
on 21 and 22 October 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.
The Mixed Commission expressed satisfaction with the audience granted its
Heads of delegation by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
2.
The Mixed Commission recognized and welcomed the Executive
Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Representative of the
African Development Bank and the Representative of the Federal Ministry of
Water Resources of
Nigeria at its
Twelfth meeting.
3.
The Mixed Commission considered and adopted the second
quarterly report of its Observer Personnel following its field visit to Lake
Chad area from 10th to 12th September 2004. It noted
with satisfaction the general peaceful and good relations prevailing among
the population and the new authorities in the area. Issues related to
property rights and identification of persons continue to engage the
attention of the Mixed Commission. Noting that the need for social services
such as health and education is still pressing, the Mixed
Commission appeals to the two national Governments and donor agencies to
give effective assistance and support to the affected populations in these
areas.
4.
The Mixed Commission was updated
on issues related to the Demarcation. The Mixed Commission noted with
concern delays in demarcation related activities, including human resources
and the processing of contracts, which impact on the timely execution of the
calendar. The Mixed Commission noted progress in the acquisition of the
preliminary image maps, the setting up of cartographic specifications and
standards, the appointment of technical personnel as well as the
availability of the image mapping on a sheet-by-sheet basis progressively
along the boundary, which are all activities currently underway.
5.
The Mixed Commission was briefed
on Confidence Building measures. A team
recently travelled to Cameroon and Nigeria to assess the progress and needs
in confidence building activities. The team met with representatives of
United Nations development and humanitarian agencies and programmes, and of
bilateral and multilateral donors.
A representative of the African Development Bank provided an update on the
Enugu-Abakiliki-Mamfe-Mutengene cross-border road project for which
construction work is expected to start in Mid-2005. The Mixed Commission
urged both Cameroon and Nigeria to expedite their respective Governments’
requests for funding assistance. The Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad
Basin Commission (LCBC) provided an update on the preparation for the
upcoming Conference on the Lake Chad. Tentative dates for the Conference
have now been proposed for February 2005. The Mixed Commission confirmed
its willingness to work with the Secretairat of the LCBC towards the
completion of this project. A representative of the Federal Ministry of
Water Resources of Nigeria provided an update on the current status of the
Water Transfer Project from Oubangui Basin to the Lake Chad.
6.
The issue of the modalities of
withdrawal and transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula as earlier
agreed was discussed. After deliberation on this issue and as a result of
divergence of views, the Mixed Commission decided to refer the matter to the
Heads of State of Cameroon and Nigeria and the Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
7.
The Chairman of the Mixed
Commission informed the Commission that pursuant to the decision taken at
the 11th session of the Mixed Commission, he had received from
each Party 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. The Chairman has forwarded each party’s submission to the other and
awaits their respective reaction by 15 November 2004.
8.
The Thirteenth meeting of the Mixed Commission will be held
in
Yaounde from 7 to 8 December 2004 , with a possible extension
to 9 December 2004.
