OPENING
STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MIXED COMMISSION AND SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE
UNITED NATIONS, GENERAL LAMINE CISSE
*
Yaoundé,
13 March 2008
Your Excellency, the Minister Delegate to
the Minister of Justice, Head of the Cameroonian Delegation,
Your Excellency, Prince Bola Ajibola, Head of
the Nigerian Delegation,
Your Excellencies, Senior State Officials,
Your Excellencies, Members of Government,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic
Corps and Representatives of International Organizations,
Members of the Mixed Commission,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Several reasons explain the pleasure I have
to chair this Twenty-First Session of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission.
Mr Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice, permit me, through you, to
thank our illustrious host, Mr. Amadou Ali, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of
Justice and Keeper of the Seals, and, beyond him, the Government of
Cameroon, for the very warm welcome accorded my entire Delegation since our
arrival. Allow me to also acknowledge, at this moment, the quality of the
measures taken to ensure the success of our deliberations.
All of these could not have been achieved
without the blessings of His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic
of Cameroon, to whom I convey my deep gratitude as well as my kindest
regards and highest consideration.
Members of the Mixed Commission,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Next, I would like to express the great
satisfaction of the United Nations and the encouragements of the Secretary
General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, who personally and keenly follows all conduct
phases of processes by the Mixed Commission and its technical bodies.
During this session, Cameroon and Nigeria
will certainly sign a legal instrument which will mark a new stage in the
implementation of the International Court of Justice’s judgement of 10
October 2002, namely the maritime chart on which have been transposed
calculations relating to the loxodrome extending to the sea.
This act will conclude the constant efforts
by the Mixed Commission in the area of maritime delimitation and will open
the way for both parties to further engage in cross-border cooperation.
On this solemn occasion, I would like to
congratulate the Heads of Delegation of Cameroon and Nigeria who, in spite
of enmity and bounds, placed unfailing confidence on the United Nations, as
they worked towards restoring peace and promoting integrated development.
With regard to the land boundary also, I am
pleased to inform you that the Joint Technical Team has reached definite
agreement on more than 830 kilometres on the boundary for demarcation.
Moreover, I learnt that, recently, a distance of 135 kilometres was covered
in about ten days, in spite of growing field access problems. Though there
is still ground to be covered, I would like to laud the performance of and
encourage the technical teams to pursue the task, with the same resolve to
accomplish.
I also noted, not without relief, that
international funding to which Cameroon, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and
European Union have generously contributed, has enabled the establishment of
a geodetic datum network on either side of the entire boundary. Though the
geodetic datum network will be subjected to certification soon, it has
proven to be of vital significance, as it will permit us to embark on
preliminary monumentation activities beginning now till the year’s end.
Concerning the Bakassi Peninsular, I believe
I stating the feeling of the entire assembly, I salute, with satisfaction,
the progress made in implementing the judgement of the International Court
of Justice. From 2006, observer missions which visited the area have
helped to establish that infrastructure is being developed in a bid to
improve the material and moral wellbeing of the indigenous populations. In
preparation for this session, it had been agreed to send an Observer Mission
to the peninsular, from 3 to 7 March 2008. That goal was not attained, due
to circumstances beyond any one’s control. It is my hope that this meeting
will enable us to reschedule the mission. The Observer Mission will
therefore present its report at our subsequent meetings. Therefore, 2008
will witness an important stage in the implementation process of the
Greentree Agreement. In fact, it will see the completion, I am certain, of
the process of withdrawal and transfer of authority commenced in 2006 and
which should extend to the Zone established by the said Agreement. I would
like to reaffirm my full trust that the commitment made by Cameroon and
Nigeria will be carried through to the final stage within the time limit.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me to recall, at this point, our common
concerns in respect of the populations concerned by the implementation of
the International Court of Justice’s judgement of 10 October 2002. I am
particularly pleased to note that both countries, within the framework of
confidence building measures, agreed in principle to build a single border
control post on the Bamenda (Cameroon) – Enugu (Nigeria) corridor, in a bid
to make transit free flowing, as the Mixed Commission had recommended. The
fixed facility will be built, within the framework of the rehabilitation of
the transboundary road, with financing from the African Development Bank (ADB).
I seize the opportunity to confirm that my
Colleagues of United Nations Agencies- whose remarkable work I salute here –
remain ready to work with the Parties in a bid to accompany Cameroon and
Nigeria in the implementation of initiatives for the benefit of the
populations.
The presence of both Delegations, once more
seated side-by-side at meetings, though an apparently banal occurrence,
shows a long and patient reconciliation effort. This achievement was
initiated, thanks to the legitimacy of the commitments by each party, well
before the judgement by the International Court of Justice.
Your presence is sufficient proof to the
distinguished assembly that: no dispute, however divisive it is, will fail
some day to be resolved through dialogue and entente. Therefore, may the
confidence building measures, which I referred to earlier, be intensified
and serve as an example to others, thereby giving rise to an Africa of
intelligence, which is open to dialogue and always at the service of social
progress.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank you for your kind attention and
declare open the Twenty-First Session of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed
Commission, in the hope that our deliberations will be very successful.
