OPENING
STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MIXED COMMISSION AND SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE
UNITED NATIONS, MR. AHMEDOU OULD-ABDALLAH
*
Abuja,
13 October 2005
Prince Bola Ajibola, Head of the Nigerian
Delegation,
Amadou Ali, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister
of Justice and Keeper of the Seal, Head of the Cameroonian Delegation,
Ministers,
Members of the Cameroon Nigeria Mixed
Commission,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank our
Nigerian hosts for their customary warm and generous welcome. I would also
like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Prince Ajibola and
Deputy Prime Minister Amadou Ali for their sound remarks.
This session is an opportunity to express my
appreciation for our cooperative work but at the same time to voice my
concerns and your preoccupations three days after the third anniversary of
the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the border dispute
between your two countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
With the resumption of our work at the XIIIth
session of the Mixed Commission, we are again making some progress. The
Working Group to draft a new programme of withdrawal of Nigerian troops and
authorities from the Bakassi peninsula has met twice. It has submitted its
recommendations to the heads of each delegation. In addition, preparations
for the start of the field assessment are underway and our technical teams
are ready to proceed to the field in early November. The verification of
the boundary will start from Lake Chad down to Mount Ngozi.
The contract related to establishing a
geodetic network has been finalized and we expect the contractor, to be soon
active in the field. As far as resource mobilization is concerned, we are
pursuing many avenues. I remain in contact with the European Union, one of
our main funders. Its contribution agreement for the transfer of four (4)
million Euros is hopefully to be finalized in the coming weeks. This
contribution will complete the originally estimated 13.2 million USD
required for the demarcation of the land boundary. We are still making
further contacts for additional contributions to meet extra costs related to
our work. In that context, I am grateful to the support in kind we receive
from Norway.
The Working Group on the maritime boundary
has now met three times and has received our map incorporating the
delineation of the boundary as delimited by the Court. Finally, I am
looking forward to the Working Group continuing its deliberations on
cross-border cooperation.
The Observer personnel of the Mixed
Commission are pursuing their periodic visits and are planning their last
trip to the villages transferred in the land boundary on 9 and 10 November.
As I have before, I would like to emphasize that no major problem is
reported as far as the relationships among the populations themselves and
with the new administrations are concerned. This assessment reminds us of
the fact that Cameroon and Nigeria have achieved within the framework of the
Mixed Commission laudable successes, which should be nurtured and
strengthened.
In addition, I am pleased that the observers
will accompany the technical field teams to support the demarcation
activities.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have however one problem. As you know
well, our work has been stalled for almost one year from September 2004 to
July 2005. That situation has created a rather pessimistic or at least a
sceptical mood. We should not let it affect durably our work or the personal
relationships between our delegations. At this XIVth session, we have to do
something to address quickly this situation. Trust is our greatest asset for
the present and for the future. If we have to continue our work with you,
you should recognize the United Nations neutrality and accept its technical
expertise. That also is part of trust.
As I have said a number of times, Cameroon
and Nigeria are friendly neighbours with a long common history. None of them
can move to settle somewhere else as do unhappy individuals and families.
They have already achieved considerable progress in the peaceful settlement
of their border dispute, to the benefit of their countries and peoples.
Today, concrete steps need to be made to restore trust.
We are presently at the last segment of our
long marathon. And, as all marathon runners will confirm, the last segment
can sometimes be the hardest. It will require from us courage and vision. We
have been entrusted with a sensitive but crucial task. We must implement the
judgment as instructed by the ICJ. Let us be bold and proudly accomplish our
duty, as called for by your two Presidents and by the UN Secretary-General.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As stipulated in the Communiqué of its last
session, the Mixed Commission should complete the delimitation of the
maritime boundary in accordance with the ICJ decision. It should also
continue the demarcation of the land boundary and encourage both Governments
to take measures that would help improve the living conditions of the border
populations. All these goals are major challenges but, they can be met in a
new spirit of cooperation.
I am convinced that your countries, and this
time I mean you the delegates, the elites, you have the capacities to meet
the challenges. In doing so, you will be helping your countries, your people
and this great continent of Africa.
Thank you for your attention.
