Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lagos (Agenzia Fides) – The Nigerian Federal High Court has blocked its own national government from ceding the remaining part of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, scheduled to take place on August 14.
Judge Mohammed Umar has sustained the decision to maintain the status quo and to adjourn further hearings until October 20, in the interest of justice. Nigeria and Cameroon signed a "Green Tree Agreement" under which the Federal Government agreed to cede the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon after the International Court of Justice at The Hague ruled that the territory belonged to Cameroon. 90% of Bakassi’s inhabitants are Nigerians and preferred that the land be ceded to Nigeria. In recent months, there have been several attacks, including deaths, carried out by mysterious armed groups against Cameroon soldiers replacing those of Nigeria. The most serious attack was on June 9, when a boat carrying a high-ranking official was attacked by a group of Nigerian pirates, killing the official and 5 soldiers (see Fides 13/6/2008).
The Green Tree Agreement has also led to conflict in Nigeria (see Fides 17/7/2008). The High Court’s verdict comes from an appeal by two former presidents of the local government in Bakassi, who asked that a payment of 456 billion Naira (nearly 3.8 billion dollars) be made prior to the cession.
The appeals also call for a court order made to the federal government, asking that prior to the ceding of the territory, the inhabitants of the region be resettled in the place of their preference.
The two former Bakassi government representatives have rejected the resettlement of the affected people in the newly created "New Bakassi."
“New Bakassi is already inhabited by people other than Bakassi people and the inhabitants are hostile to the Bakassi refugees,” they said, adding that New Bakassi was landlocked and ideal for farmers and not fishermen like them. The plaintiffs contended that the 206,000 natives of Bakassi are entitled to be protected and catered for by the Federal Government in the face of any possible undesired activity on the part of Cameroon authorities. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 1/8/2008)
