Security Council Praises Nigeria for Bakassi Peninsula Transition

Members of the United Nations Security Council have welcomed the peaceful conclusion of a special transitional regime established by an agreement between Cameroon and Nigeria concerning the Bakassi Peninsula. In a statement, the 15-member body praised the Governments of Cameroon and Nigeria “for their commitment in honouring their obligations to comply with the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and for the responsible and peaceful way in which they have resolved their differences on this matter.” In June 2006, the two countries signed the UN-backed Greentree Agreement setting the terms and timeframe for the implementation of the 2002 ruling of the ICJ, which transferred the Bakassi Peninsula from Nigeria to Cameroon. Nigeria formally ceded the territory in 2008, and since then a transitional phase has been in place to give full sovereignty of the territory to Cameroon. The Council commended the role played by the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) in chairing the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission and the Follow Up Committee established to monitor the implementation of the Greentree Agreement. “The members of the Security Council commend the efforts of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission in facilitating the performance of the obligations under the judgment of the International Court of Justice and the demarcating of the land and maritime boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria,” the statement said. Council members also encouraged both countries to continue to enhance “cross-border confidence-building measures that address the security and well-being of the populations affected by the demarcation process.” Culled from UN News Center