Ban: Nigeria-Cameroon peninsula transfer exemplifies ‘good neighbourliness’
NEW YORK, 14 August 2008: The transfer of authority from Nigeria to Cameroon of a once-disputed – and possibly oli-rich -peninsula (halvø) is a result of the resolve of the neighbouring African nations to bring a peaceful end to the issue, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday.
“The case of the Bakassi Peninsula has proven the viability of a peaceful and legal settlement of border disputes, when it is done with the full support of the international community and in a spirit of mutual respect, good neighbourliness and cooperation,” Mr. Ban said in a message to the handover ceremony.
He paid tribute to both countries for their “patience and perseverance,” adding that they serve as an example to the world on how to peacefully resolve sensitive problems.
The International Court of Justice resolved the “potentially dangerous” dispute between the two countries, and the event marks “a triumph for the rule of law, which lies at the very core of the mission and work of the United Nations,” Mr. Ban said in the message, which was delivered on his behalf by Kieran Prendergast, who chaired the follow-up committee on the implementation of the 2006 Greentree agreement.
Under that historic pact – signed under the auspices of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan – Nigeria recognized Cameroonian sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula, an oil-rich region on the Gulf of Guinea that had been the subject of intense and sometimes violent disputes between the African neighbours for decades.
The International Court of Justice ruling was based on an early 20th century colonial agreement between Britain and Germany. Nigeria challenged the ruling, but finally agreed to relinquish the territory two years ago.
– The gains made in adhering to the rule of law may outweigh the painful losses of ancestral homes, said the head of the Nigerian delegation at the ceremony, Attorney General Mike Aondoakaa.
About 90 per cent of the areas population, estimated at up to 300.000, is made up of Nigerian fishermen. About 30.000 of the residents have moved out to an area in Cross Rivers State in Nigeria set aside for them, but it has no access to the sea, campaigners say.
Bakassi has a rich fishing culture and people say the handover has destroyed their way of life.
Kilde: FN Nyhedstjeneste
