The first terminal concertizing the demarcation of the land border between Cameroon and Nigeria was laid Monday in the town of Banki-Amchidé (far north) in the presence of representative of the United Nations Secretary General Said Djinnit and Cameroonian and Nigerian delegations led by their ministers of justice, Amadou Ali and Prince Bola Adjibola respectively.
With the launch of the land border between the two countries in accordance with the decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ), the representative of the UN Secretary General has urged both parties to comply with the United Nations resolutions, and create a climate of mutual trust.
The route that starts from the Lake Chad area (far north) to the Bakassi Peninsula (south-west) is a 1,900 kilometer distance over which both countries have found agreement out of a total of 1,950 kilometers.
According to the United Nations, Cameroon and Nigeria have agreed for a post to be located every half kilometer, which means it will take about 3000 terminals to cover this distance.
Another ceremony was held on Monday in a “cordial atmosphere” by the Cameroonian authorities, which was also attended by representatives of the witness states of the Greentree Agreement signed in 2006 by the two countries under the auspices of the UN in New York.
Those in attendance were Germany, the United States, Great Britain and France, but also donors like the World Bank, the European Union and the African Bank Development Bank (ADB).
Following a boundary dispute between the two countries fifteen years ago, Cameroon had brought the case before the ICJ, which, in a verdict without appeal, stated that the Bakassi peninsula, presumed rich in oil is the property of Cameroon.
On August 14, 2008, Nigeria withdrew its troops from Bakassi, handing over the administration to Cameroon, which asked Nigerians – the majority of the residents – who remained in the peninsula to feel free to remain in Bakassi if they wanted.
Source African Press Agency
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