Nkendem Forbinake
14 March 2008
For Lamine Cissé, the retired Senegalese army general and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, his first formal outing as the new chairperson of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission came in rather good auspices. At the opening ceremony of the 21st session of the Commission at the Bouma Hall of the Yaounde Hilton yesterday, the two sides had many reasons to celebrate.
Cameroon and Nigeria are expected to sign a legal instrument on the maritime chart, one of the last stages in the implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice on October 10, 2002. The two sides are agreed that such a move will come to conclude the constant efforts of the mixed commission in the area of maritime delimitation and consequently energize trans-border cooperation.
With regard to the land boundary, guests to the opening ceremony - including Cameroonian state dignitaries, members of government, MPs , members of the diplomatic corps and a broad spectrum of NGOs - were informed that the joint technical team had reached definite agreement on more than 830 kilometers on the boundary for demarcation. General Cissé also noted with satisfaction, that international funding to which Cameroon, Nigeria, the U K and the European Union have generously contributed, "enabled the establishment of a geodetic datum network on either side of the of the entire boundary." Talking about Bakassi, the UN Special representative also observed that much progress had been made in the implementation of the ICJ judgment and revealed that an observer mission sent to the area between March 3 and 7 this year had not fully attained its objectives "due to circumstances beyond anyone's control". With the hope that the mission will be rescheduled during this session, General Cissé was hopeful that "2008 will witness an important stage in the implementation process of the Greentree Agreement . In fact, it will see the completion of the withdrawal and transfer of authority commenced in 2006 and which should extend to the zone established by the said agreement"
In an earlier welcome statement made on behalf of the leader of the Cameroonian delegation to the commission and Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali, the Minister-delegate to the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Maurice Kamto warmly welcomed the new chairperson of the commission. Amadou Ali's statement said Cameroon was indeed very happy to observe that no incidents had occurred in Bakassi since the most recent visit of observers to the area in October 2007. "Our two government were able to manage the sad incidents that occurred in the zone on November 12, 2007 in an atmosphere of serenity and cooperation," the Vice Prime Minister's statement indicated
Achievements
In his own address to participants at the opening ceremony, Prince Bola Ajibola, leader of the Nigerian delegation, was full of praise for the numerous achievements made in the five years of the commission's work. These achievements include the handover and transfer of sovereignty of the villages affected by the ICJ judgment in the Lake Chad area in 2003, the withdrawal of Nigerian military from the Bakassi peninsula in 2006, the delineating the maritime boundary in May 2007 and the mobilization of the money necessary for the demarcation of the land boundary from donors.
This 21st session is expected to end today with the publication of a joint communiqué.
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THE UN IS ONE OF THE MOST CURRUPT INTERNATIONAL MAFIA INSTITUTION OF THE WORLD, THATS BASICALLY DESIGN TO USURP AFRICA, ASIA, AND NIN EURO-AMERICAN COUNTRIES FOR THEIR BENEFITS, HOW COME ANY RIGHTFUL THINKING PERSON WOULD WANNA. SAY BAKASSI, BELONGS TO CAMEROUN. INSTEAD OF SOUTHERN CAMEROONS, WHEN CAMEROUNS EASTERN BOUNDARY ENDS AT THE MUNGO RIVER, AND THESE FACTS ARE DEPOSITED RIGHT THEIR IN THE COFFICES OF THE UN IN NEW YORK. AGAIN. 7M SOUTHERN CAMEROONIANS, HAD MADE THEIR INTENTIONS VERY WELL KNOWN, THROUGH CONSTATNT COMMUNICATION,… [Read Full Text]
That this potentially dangerous situation is slowly being put to rest should call for real jubilation for both Nigerians and Cameroonians. However, it has not been publicised in any newspaper that the Nigerian senate has formerly signed the Bakassi document. If, indeed, it is not yet signed by the senate, the President should now call on the senate to sign it immedately and stop playing unnecessary prank that can expose the country as well as the President to further riddicles by the outside world.
Congrats to the efforts of the UN in ensuring that this decision is implemented. The two governments have been very co-operative and we hope that the friendly relations remain as such.