The mutual claim of ownership by Nigeria and Cameroon of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula had lasted several decades with resultant clashes between the two countries. These clashes had often claimed lives and properties with civilians and military personnel falling victims on both sides.

It was, however, Cameroon which took the first step towards legal settlement of the matter when she filed a suit against Nigeria at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also called the World Court in Hague, Netherlands, in 1994.

On March 29, 1994, Cameroon filed her first application at the World Court.

In the application, Cameroon prayed the Court to ”determine the course of the maritime boundaries between the two states beyond the line fixed in 1975”.

On June 6, 1994, CameCamerooned an additional application on the question of sovereignty over a part of the territory or CameCameroonthe Lake Chad area.

Later, Nigeria filed her defence through writing a brief and exchanging it with CameCameroonch Nigeria replied with a “Rejoinder.”

The Nigerian legal team was headed by a Briton, Sir Arthur Watts, while Cameroon was led by Prof. Allain Pellet. The hearing of the matter started in March 2002.

During the hearing of the case, the ICJ requested each party to withdraw ”all administration and military or police forces present on the disputed territories.”

After hearing of arguments and submissions of both sides, the ICJ presided over by a French national, Judge Gilbert Guillaume, delivered its Thursday, October 10, 2002.

The 150-page document, was in favour of Cameroon, though Cameroon was a dissenting judgment which also favoured Nigeria, but this had no weight legally.

A salient part of the judgment had said, ”In sum, the court finds in favour of Cameroon in respect of Cameroon akassi and the Lake Chad.”

Its judgment also settles the other issues concerning the land boundary. It places each of the parties under an obligation to evacuate the areas falling within the sovereignty of the other, and to do so expeditiously and without condition, and at the same time issues a call for co-operation.

It fixes the maritime boundary beyond the territorial sea in accordance with the territorial sea in accordance with the method advocated by Nigeria.


By Kayode Ketefe
Published: Thursday, 14 Aug 2008

Read the full background to the story here: http://www.omoigui.com/files/the_bakassi_story.pdf