UNITED NATIONS COMMUNIQUÉ FOLLOWING SIGNING OF BOUNDARY AGREEMENT

BY PRESIDENTS OF CAMEROON, NIGERIA

Following is the United Nations communiqué on the meeting between United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, President Paul Biya of Cameroon and President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, in Greentree, New York, 12 June:

At the invitation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, President Paul Biya of the Republic of Cameroon and President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Federal Republic of Nigeria met today at the Greentree estate in Manhasset, New York.

The summit meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere in the presence of the delegations of the two countries, and of the representatives of four witness States.

The two Heads of State and the Secretary-General reviewed the progress achieved by the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, and noted the advances made in the implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice of 10 October 2002.

With the completion of the withdrawals and transfers of authority in the Lake Chad area and along the land boundary between the two countries, the Heads of State have now agreed on the modalities of the withdrawal from the Bakassi Peninsula, in accordance with the judgment of the International Court of Justice, which has confirmed the sovereignty of Cameroon over the peninsula and with due regard for the well-being of the populations.  They have signed an Agreement to this effect.

They have established a follow-up committee comprised of representatives of their two countries, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and of the four witness States, namely, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.

By their determination to settle their differences through peaceful means, the Heads of State of Cameroon and Nigeria have demonstrated their ability to move beyond a difficult past and address the sources of the conflict.  Today’s settlement marks a further step towards the fulfilment of their international obligations and sets an historic example for a sustainable relationship of good neighbourliness.

Representatives of the above-mentioned four States have witnessed today’s signing of the Agreement.  Their presence shows that the international community fully supports and has full confidence in the process of implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice of 10 October 2002, and that it continues to monitor the process in anticipation of its successful culmination.

The Secretary-General congratulated the Heads of State of Cameroon and Nigeria for devising a new approach in the area of conflict resolution and emphasized that the United Nations has played an important role in the process through an extremely cost-effective mechanism.

He invited the parties to continue to fulfil their obligations in good faith, and pledged the continued support of the United Nations for the process.

The Heads of State of Cameroon and Nigeria expressed their appreciation to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and to the witness States.

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For information media • not an official record