NEWS RELEASES
May 27, 2005 (9:40 a.m. EDT)
No. 95
CANADA URGES NIGERIA AND CAMEROON TO CONTINUE
IMPLEMENTING AN INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
DECISION INVOLVING THE BAKASSI PENINSULA
Minister of Foreign Affairs Pierre Pettigrew urges the governments of Nigeria and
Cameroon to continue implementing an International Court of Justice decision involving
their border dispute in the Bakassi Peninsula area. Further to the decision rendered in
2002, the two countries set up a Mixed Commission under the auspices of the United
Nations to resolve this conflict.
“We welcome the progress made at the meeting on May 10 in Geneva, to which United
Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan invited the President of Nigeria, Olusegun
Obasanjo, and the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya,” said Mr. Pettigrew. “This
peaceful solution to the dispute must continue with conviction in order to demonstrate
the effectiveness and validity of the principles of peace and security underlying the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development.”
Nigeria and Cameroon have long been at odds over the Bakassi Peninsula, leading to
military skirmishes during the early 1990s and Nigerian occupation of most of the
Peninsula in 1993. Cameroon took the matter to the International Court of Justice in
1994. The Court recognized Cameroon’s sovereignty in a binding ruling in 2002. Nigeria
and Cameroon subsequently agreed to have the UN establish a commission to follow
up on the ruling and move the process forward.
The transfer of authority from Nigeria to Cameroon in the disputed area must be
overseen by the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission. Canada supported the
Commission by providing a Canadian Forces military adviser who worked with the UN
Special Representative for West Africa, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca
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