Bakassi – Full Cameroonian Sovereignty is not for Tomorrow

By Dibussi Tande

"Although the Cameroon authorities pressured for immediate withdrawal of our troops from Bakassi for Cameroon to take over and exercise full sovereignty over the whole Peninsula, we opted for political negotiation to prepare the Nigerians occupying the Peninsula psychologically and physically for the ultimate choice they will have to make." President Olusegun Obasanjo in nationwide address to the Nigerian people - June 15, 2006

After five meetings at Presidential, an endless series of joint commissions and four years of protracted negotiations, Nigeria has finally agreed to implement the October 2002 International Court of Justice ruling which grants sovereignty of the disputed Bakassi Peninsular to the Republic of Cameroon.

According the accord, signed in Greentree, New York, Nigeria shall withdraw its troops from the territory within 60 days, although the UN Secretary General “may extend the period as necessary, for a further period not exceeding a total thirty days".

This piece of news has been greeted with outrage on the Nigerian side of the border while in Cameroon, the official media has been harping on the fact that Bakassi will revert to Cameroonian sovereignty in 60 days. While the main accord published in Cameroon Tribune and elsewhere seems to give credence to this claim, an annex to the agreement (Annex 1) which has received little or no publicity belies these claims.

Full Cameroonian sovereignty over Bakassi is not for tomorrow.

In a nationwide address President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria shed light on contents of the annex document:

• "The two islands of Atabong and Abana which form the Western part of Bakassi Peninsula will continue to be administered by Nigeria for two years after the withdrawal of Nigerian troops. Mobile Police Force will be stationed on the two population centres until cessation of Nigerian administration. In the meantime, the Federal Government with the Cross River State Government will sensitise the Nigerian population in Bakassi to the new political reality of the Peninsula and advise them to make a choice of either being resettled back into Nigeria or remaining as Nigerians resident in Cameroon after the cessation of Nigerian administration."
• "A special transitional provision will be put in place for five years for Nigerians after the cessation of Nigerian administration in the Peninsula to enable them to have access, without formalities, to Bakassi with similar access for our law-enforcement agents for investigation."

According to Paragraph 4 of the Annex agreement, Cameroon agrees to the following condition during the five-year transitional period:

• Cameroon will not extend its customs and immigration legislation on Nigerians living in the Peninsular who need to travel to Nigeria. [“...ne pas appliquer sa législation douanière ni sa législation sur l’immigration aux ressortissants nigérians vivant dans la zone qui se rendent directement du Nigeria dans la zone dans le but d’accéder à leurs activités ”]
• It authorizes Nigerian security personal to enter the territory with minimum formality in order to investigate crimes and other incidents concerning Nigerian citizens exclusively. [autoriser “les officiers et le personnel en uniforme des forces de police nigériane à avoir accès à la zone, (...) avec un minimum des formalités, à des fins d’enquête sur des crimes et délits ou d’autres incidents impliquant exclusivement des citoyens nigérians ”.]
• Finally, Cameroon grants free passage to civilian ships carrying the Nigerian flag in Bakassi territorial waters. [“… accorder le passage inoffensif dans les eaux territoriales de la zone aux navires civils battant pavillon du Nigeria conformément aux dispositions du présent accord, à l’exception des navires de guerre nigérians. ”]

According to Paragraph 5, Cameroon will regain full sovereignty over Bakassi only at the end of the transition period. [“A la fin de la période du régime spécial transitoire, le Cameroun exercera en toute plénitude ses droits de souveraineté sur la zone ”.]

Comment
Contrary to analyses in the official media in Cameroon, full sovereignty over Bakassi is seven years away and not 60 days – that is, if the next Nigerian government that succeeds the OBJ administration agrees to honor these undertakings which are very unpopular in Nigeria (remember how subsequent Nigerian regimes reneged on the Ahidjo-Gowon Bakassi agreement of 1975…).

So has OBJ and Nigeria pulled a “Maradona” on Biya Cameroon? Only time will tell….

Comments

[manga che]

From the Daily Champion - Nigeria
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Meanwhile, indigenes of Southern Cameroun, which included disputed Bakassi peninsula, have been called upon to stand up for the defence of their territory from domination by French forces.

The call by the Southern Cameroun Interim Government in exile (SCIG), is coming on the heels of recent agreement between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Paul Biya, in which Bakassi is to be handed over to Cameroun.

In a statement made available to Daily Champion by the Department of Media and Communication, of SCIG, from their United States base, the Interim government specifically called on the people to resist, by whatever means necessary the incorporation of their domain to French control.

"If this so called agreement is honoured by the government of Nigeria as written, we will be happy to invite the people of Bakassi, by whatever means necessary to subvert and resist their incorporation into the colonial dominion of France, recalling that France views the territory of the Southern Cameroons and her people as "little gift to her".

The interim government also called on the "Southern Cameroon Defence Force (SOCADEF) to intensify preparations to take head on the French and their colonial occupation regime in the Southern Cameroons."

The group also said "all citizens of Southern Cameroons be prepared for robust civil defense entities and mechanisms to defend their lives."

The interim government hinged its call on allegation that the Nigerian government had violated an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja which in 2002 adjudicated on a suit brought before it by the Southern Cameroon asking for a "declaration that under Articles 1 and 20 (1) (2) and (3) of the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Right (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap 10, laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, the Federal Republic of Nigeria has a legal duty to place before the international court of justice and the United Nations General Assembly and ensure diligent prosecution to conclude the claim of the peoples' of Southern Cameroons to self-determination and their declaration of independence."

The Southern Cameroons had also asked for "an order compelling the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to place before the International Court of Justice and the United Nations General Assembly, and ensure diligent prosecution to conclusion the claim of the people of Southern Cameroons to self-determination and their declaration of independence", even as it asked for a perpetual injunction restraining the Nigerian government from treating or continuing to treat or regard Bakassi as an integral part of the Republic of Cameroon.

Giving judgement on the suit, the court had directed the Nigerian government to institute a case at the International Court of Justice to determine whther the union envisaged under the Southern Cameroon plebiscite of 1961 between the Republic of Cameroon and Southern Cameroon legally took effect as contemplated by the relevant United Nations Resolution, particularly, Resolution 1352 of October 10, 1959 and a trusteeship court resolution 2013 of May 31, 1960.

In making the order, the Federal High Court asked that the ICJ should determine whether the people of Southern Cameroon are not entitled to self-determination within their clearly defined territory separate from the Republic of Cameroon.

The court further asked that the ICJ determine whether it is the Southern Cameroon or the Republic of Cameroon that shares a maritime boundary within Nigeria.

[nlatane]

Cameroon has won back Bakassi. A landmark event of significant note in African history, where a border dispute between two sovereign states did not escalate into mindless bloodletting and debauchery. Is this not worthy of celebration?

The dispute was between CAMEROON and NIGERIA, with no place for obscure non entities! A handful of irredentist residents of Bakassi are Cameroonians, who thanks to the ICJ ruling, could now take their rightful place as the Bona Fide Lords of the land. The bulk of the population are foreign nationals, fishermen of Nigerian nationality. What the Cameroon Gov't should concentrate on doing now to make life comfortable for the Cameroonians in Bakassi who demographically are in the minority, should be, to give them their leadership station in order to take charge of their lives now, so that they in turn will help integrate the Nigerian nationals into their culture and society, for the two cultures to learn to live in harmony.

Cameroon should put in place significant institutions and structures as a stamp of authority, ownership, and civility. They should protect the wealth of this penninsular and make sure the residents benefit from this exclusive preserve of oil. I am glad the Americans are there to back and protect the Cameroonians and their territory. Let the Cameroon Gov't authority be felt in Bakassi. Let the Gendarmerie protect any dissenting excesses.

[julius]

This is the worst possible outcome for the inhabitants of the Bakassi peninsula.
Do these people know what they are getting themselves into?
Granted being part of Nigeria was not exactly being in paradise but at least they did not have to learn another foreign language to navigate their everyday lives. Are these people ready to receive the colonial administrators from Y'de?
Nigeria in undergoing a tremendous wave of economic and political reforms and the inhibitants of Bakassi will be forgoing these to come under the rule of an ethno-fascist and kleptocratic despot, running a bankrupt state.
The Southern Cameroonians made that mistake 40 years ago and are now paying dearly for it by being considered second class citizens in their own "country".
I hope the inhabitants of Bakassi learn from our mistakes and resist this sellout by the UN and Nigeria by any means becessary. I also hope that the next Nigerian administration simple ignore this agreement as past administrations have done.

[tiko]

yes please I have now gotten the whole story concerning bakassi problem but am hearing romouse that the handing over of bakassi to cameroon is a step to assist the southern cameroon battle for their independent assurance , how far is this event raely relating to this news?