Withdrawal of Nigeria from Bakassi: President Paul BIYA of Cameroon addresses the nation

Fellow Cameroonians,
My Dear Compatriots,

A dual ceremony of the withdrawal of the Nigerian administration and police force from the Bakassi peninsula as well as the transfer of authority over this area to Cameroon took place in Calabar on 14 August 2008.

The end of these two operations, in accordance with the Greentree Agreement signed on 12 June 2006 by our two countries, in the presence of Witness States, marks the recovery by Cameroon of its full and effective sovereignty over the Bakassi peninsula.

This will, most certainly, be a memorable day.

As you are aware, we engaged in long and difficult negotiations during which our people showed proof of moderation and patience, but also of steadfastness and determination.

Definitely, our efforts would have been fruitless without an asserted and shared political will to put an end to a dispute which hampered age-old relations between two brotherly and neighbouring countries.

I therefore want here and now, in hailing the import of this historic event, first to congratulate and thank the entire Cameroonian people for the maturity and sense of responsibility that they displayed, thus showing, once again, their constant attachment to peace, dialogue and our policy of good neighbourliness.

I want, at the same time, to pay tribute to our valiant soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the defence of our territorial integrity and our sovereignty. The entire Nation will be grateful to them forever.

I also wish, in the same spirit, to restate my gratitude to the brotherly people as well as to the authorities of Nigeria who, like us, honoured their commitments, thus allowing reason and the law to prevail.

Lastly, I want to express, through their distinguished representatives in Cameroon, my gratitude and that of the entire Cameroonian people to the Witness States, namely the United States of America, France, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom, without forgetting all friendly countries, for the support they have continued to give us in the implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice and the Greentree Agreement.

In the same context, I cannot fail to make special mention of the decisive role played by the United Nations Organization, whose successive Secretaries- General and their representatives within the Mixed Commission spared no effort to make possible the implementation of the agreements concluded between the two countries.

Once again, we want to thank them sincerely.

Clearly, there is every reason for us to be satisfied with the happy ending of the Bakassi issue which we have just celebrated.

I believe that what is most noteworthy in this case is that the option we made - using legal means rather than force - has proven fully justified, for we are a people deeply attached to peace, the peace which we are striving to preserve and without which, as you are aware, the progress and development to which our people legitimately aspire would be out of reach.

The process which has just ended also serves as an example. By opting for dialogue and negotiation, we have proved that resorting to force is not necessarily the best way to resolve disputes. Perhaps in this regard, the peaceful outcome of the Bakassi issue will set a precedent in our continent.

It stands to reason that Cameroon and Nigeria must henceforth do everything possible to consolidate the settlement reached and seize the opportunities afforded them to develop their relations in all fields.

In this regard, I want to reaffirm that Cameroon will honour all the commitments made concerning our Nigerian brothers and sisters who have chosen to reside in Cameroon , that is, those living in Bakassi as well as those who, in large numbers, have been living on Cameroonian territory for many years. I want to reassure them that their security and their rights will always be guaranteed; they will, as in the past, be able to go about their business undisturbed, as long, of course, as they abide by Cameroonian laws and regulations.

For my part, I believe that the future of relations between our two countries is bright. Bound by History and Geography to live together, and by numerous links rooted in a common culture, the Nigerian and Cameroonian peoples have every possible reason to promote mutually beneficial ties of friendship and cooperation. As far as I am concerned, I intend to lend my full support to such relations.

My dear compatriots, there is therefore reason to believe that this is the dawn of a new era in relations between Nigeria and Cameroon, an era of peace and fraternity which will enable us, hand in glove, to fight the real fight, that is for progress and development.

Long live friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and Cameroon .

Source: Presidency of the Republic

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