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Cameroon: Rebels Declare 'Independence' of Bakassi
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The Post (Buea)
31 July 2008
Posted to the web 1 August 2008
Azore Opio and Francis Tim Mbom
Militant youths in the Bakassi Peninsula, Friday, July 25, declared the oil rich area independent.
According to a Nigerian newspaper, the "Sunday VANGUARD", a group calling itself the Bakassi Movement for Self-Determination, BAMOSD, said it had joined forces with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, in carrying out the secession.
A week earlier, Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation SCAPO, together with the indigenes of Bakassi Peninsula had threatened secession.The "Sunday VANGUARD" reported that BAMOSD dispatched an e-mail signed by one Sive Ogan to its correspondent in Port Harcourt and "said the decision to secede was taken at a meeting held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on July 2, 2006.
The Declaration
The e-mail titled the "Die is Cast," says the "new country's" capital is Akwa in the peninsula.
The "Sunday VANGUARD" also reported that the group stated that it had deployed its members in the creeks and was ready to do battle with any government that opposes its action.
The group warned the Nigerian government not to send its troops to attack the members "because such action would spell dire consequences both for the soldiers and the government."
The e-mail reads thus: "Now that the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, has sealed the deal made between the Presidents of Nigeria, Cameroon and the companies exploring oil over the blood of the Bakassi people, the die is cast. Therefore, BAMOSD now declares as follows:
That with the withdrawal of Nigerian troops from the Bakassi Peninsula, which takes away our last line of defence as Nigerian citizens and exposes our people to perpetual and permanent bondage of exploitation, under-development and death, which characterised life in the larger Niger Delta and the Gulf of Guinea over the last 50 years of multi-national oil companies occupation with the connivance of Nigerian leaders, we are left with no other option than to defend our land and people by any means necessary.
"That our peaceful, social economic, historical and ancestral ties with the rest of the people of the Niger Delta leave us not only with no other frontier, but with no other option than to join forces with the valiant and heroic freedom fighters of the Niger Delta.
"That BAMOSD by this declaration is subsuming all its activities on the Bakassi Peninsula into the larger war of liberation of the Nigeria Delta, under the joint leadership of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, and other joints commands for the protection, defence and security of its people and resources.
Other forces or operators found within the territorial waters of Bakassi shall be considered enemy forces and dealt with accordingly."As we speak, half of our soldiers from all parts of Niger Delta are in the creeks awaiting the dooms day. Nigeria handing over Bakassi to Cameroon means that Nigeria has no right to confront our soldiers, so we are calling for Nigerian government to stay clear and allow us face our battle, because any attempt to clamp on any of our soldiers means confrontation and we shall react likewise.
We also want to inform the world that henceforth, Bakassi has become an independent state and shall control its resources. To this effect, all operators, Nigerian or foreign, exploring or exploiting resources on the Bakassi Peninsula that has not consulted with the appropriate authorities should leave the territory immediately. We emphasise again; leave our waters immediately. Do not say you were not warned. There will be no further warnings..."
The same tabloid also reported that only last weekend, SCAPO had threatened to pull Bakassi out of Nigeria and with Southern Cameroons create Ambazonia Republic if the Federal Government fulfilled its promise of handing over the peninsula to Cameroon.
According to "VANGUARD", SCAPO conveyed its message in separate letters to President Olusegun Obasanjo, his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya and UN scribe, Mr. Kofi Annan.
These threats of secession and the declaration of the independence of Bakassi comes in the wake of Nigerian President, Musa Yar'Adua's, stated commitment to respect the August 14 final handing over of the peninsula to Cameroon.
According to the Nigerian tabloid, Yar'Adua is said to have been speaking in Abuja during a reception accorded to Cameroon's Minister of External Relations, H E Henri Eyebe Ayissi.
Yar'Adua is reported to have pledged Nigeria's commitment to ensure that the terms of the Green Tree Agreement of 2006 are respected to the letter, now and even after August 14.
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"As major stakeholders in the area, we have a joint responsibility to ensure that we take a leading role in the establishment of structures and a force to safeguard our people and resources towards a collective security of the Gulf of Guinea," Yar'Adua is quoted to have said.
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Since Nigerian independence it is now that Bakassi Peninsula belongs to cameroon??? This is the best time for the Niger delta militants to act with the highest oppositions available, aids will come!!!. Cameroonian government is a mouse backed up by a hungry elephant(modern slave trader) as we can see the actions of Cameroonian government on the south western part of Cameroon. It is a clear truth that Bakassi Peninsula belongs to Nigeria.
If all Africans talk like you people then it will be hard for me to be a leader in my country Nigeria or any African nations for that matter. Are you all fools? the bakassi is a spec on teh african map, Nigeria doesnt need it and neither does Camerron, the're land i just good enough i mean LOOK AT JAPAn. Its an island for crying out loud and look at it. Look at iceland a snow-filled spec on the geopolitical map and its doing just fine economically. These two foolish countries should stop fighting over something so trivial... [Read Full Text]
Secession is not an option because to keep Nigeria one is task that must be done if you remember the drift. How could the Ibibios after fighting bravely to crush Biafra now want to break away from Nigeria? Something is wrong here could it be that Biafra was right then or that the Ibibios just woke up late?
But whatever it is too late to break up Nigeria we are all in it together. We gave up Bakassi to defeat Biafra and the Ibibios played a major role it would be against the rule of international law to renege on... [Read Full Text]
KOFI ANAN, IS NO LONGER IN THE UN.
BAN KI MOON REPLACED HIM LONG TIME AGO, WHY KEEP SENDING LETTER TO HIM? AFRICANS ARE FUCKED UP
MAAN IF YOU WERE FROM BAKASSI, YOU WILL KNOW IT.
BAKASSI IS RIGHT TO BACAME INDEPENDENT STATE, IF NIGERIA DOESNT WANT THEM. FRENCH CAMEROUIN IS NOT THEIR COUNTRY, THEN THEY AR LEFT WITH ONLY ONE OPTION, TO BE THEMSELVES, SOO THEY ARE RIGHT
NIGERIAN LEADERSHIPS ARE FUCKED UP, FULL OF TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND EGO.
NIGERIA HAD MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECAME A GREAT COUNTRY, WHEN OIL PRICES ARE $130 PER BARREL. NIGERIA LEADERS ... [Read Full Text]
i totally agree with you......actually biafra cause was 100% right and if we had our own country i am sure we would be the messiahs for the african continent as a whole because we were fighting injustice coming from within and from outside.....well it is a done deal and i advice all biafran men and women to leave the ibibios to take responsibilities for their choice. even after the devastating effects of the 30 months civil war the igbos still remain the most successful tribe in nigeria even though there is almost zero support from the so called federal govt... [Read Full Text]
Yet another disaster. I know that if I am not among those originally inhabitants of Bakassi, i will not fully understand their predicament. It is pitifull indeed. It is such an injustice and so unfair.
However, I think that the war that is at stake here is beyond Bakassi inhabitants and the Niger Delta rebels. It is a difficult choice that they have to make. Sacrifice the price of their motherland or die fighting. My opinion is that no matter their weponery, they are less likely to win the war. Like I commented in another article on this topic, Those... [Read Full Text]
You can people rebel when they are fighting over what rightfully belongs to them. The residence of Bakassi Pennisula can be force out of their neither be pressurize to be citizen of another country overnight. Bakassi pennisula belong to the people of Bakassi, the ICJ should know that, what they did is a breach of human right because it is like forcing a small country like Benin Republic to citizen of Nigeria against their wise. Bakassi pennisular is the ancestral home of the people of Bakassi people. Their land should not be giving to cameroonian government due to illegal... [Read Full Text]
With all intent and purpose we cannot eat our cake and have it. As heinous as it may seem Nigerians should not lose sleep over Bakassi because the party was over way back when. The oil rich peninsula was a compromise between Gowon and Cameroon to deny Biafra access to the sea. Biafra's only contact with the outside world was by air to transport both food and other supplies.
While the Ibibios were busy fighting bravely to defeat Biafra part of their land was been ceded. Hey Guys if decide to go to war be sure that you are on... [Read Full Text]
With all intent and purpose we cannot eat our cake and have it. As heinous as it may seem Nigerians should not lose sleep over Bakassi because the party was over way back when. The oil rich peninsula was a compromise between Gowon and Cameroon to deny Biafra access to the sea. Biafra's only contact with the outside world was by air to transport both food and other supplies.
While the Ibibios were busy fighting bravely to defeat Biafra part of their land was been ceded. Hey Guys if decide to go to war be sure that you are on... [Read Full Text]
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