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The Cameroon-Nigeria border region on the coast from a 1963 map, with Bakassi peninsula in the middle

Bakassi is the peninsular extension of the African territory of Calabar into the Atlantic Ocean. It is currently ruled by Cameroon (to the north) and Nigeria (to the south) following the transfer of sovereignty from neighbouring Nigeria as a result of a judgment by the International Court of Justice. On Thursday, the 22 of November 2007, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria sitting in Abuja rejected the transfer of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, since The Green Tree Agreement ceding the area to Cameroon was contrary to Section 12(1) of the 1999 Constitution. ^[1] Image File history File links Question_book-new. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A peninsula in Croatia A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered on three or more sides by water. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Calabar is a city in southeastern Nigeria. ... See also International Commission of Jurists Peace Palace, seat of the ICJ. Org type Principal Organ Acronyms ICJ, CIJ Head President of the ICJ Dame Rosalyn Higgins DBE Status Active Established 1945 Website www. ... The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country in West Africa and, by far, the most populated nation in Africa. ... Aso Rock Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. ...

Geography and economy

The peninsula lies roughly between latitudes 4°25' and 5°10'N and longitudes 8°20' and 9°08'E . It consists of a number of low-lying, largely mangrove covered islands covering an area of around 665 km². The population of Bakassi is the subject of some dispute, but is generally put at between 150,000 and 300,000 people.

Bakassi is situated at the extreme eastern end of the Gulf of Guinea, where the warm east-flowing Guinea Current (called Aya Efiat in Efik) meets the cold north-flowing Benguela Current (called Aya Ubenekang in Efik). These two great ocean currents interact creating huge foamy breakers which constantly advance towards the shore, and building submarine shoals rich in fish, shrimps, and an amazing variety of other marine life forms. This makes the Bakassi area a very fertile fishing ground, comparable only to Newfoundland in North America and Scandinavia in Western Europe. Most of the population make their living through fishing. Map of the Gulf of Guinea, showing the chain of islands formed by the Cameroon line of volcanoes. ... The Guinea Current is a slow warm water current that flows easterly along the Guinea coast of West Africa. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... The frigid waters of the north-flowing Benguela current move from the Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica along the west coast of Africa as far as Angola. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... Superfamilies Alpheoidea Atyoidea Bresilioidea Campylonotoidea Crangonoidea Galatheacaridoidea Nematocarcinoidea Oplophoroidea Palaemonoidea Pandaloidea Pasiphaeoidea Procaridoidea Processoidea Psalidopodoidea Stylodactyloidea True shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. ... Newfoundland —   IPA: [nuw fÉ™n lænd] (French: , Irish: ) is a large island off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ...

The peninsula is commonly described as "oil-rich", though in fact no commercially viable deposits of oil have yet been discovered. However, the area has aroused considerable interest from oil companies in the light of the discovery of rich reserves of high grade crude oil elsewhere in Nigeria. At least eight multinational oil companies have participated in the exploration of the peninsula and its offshore waters. Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and elaion – oil or Latin oleum – oil ) or crude oil is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ...

History

A kingdom was founded in Bakassi around 1450 by the Efik, and was incorporated within the political framework of the kingdom of Old Calabar. During the European scramble for Africa, Queen Victoria signed a Treaty of Protection with the King and Chiefs of Old Calabar on 10 September 1884. This enabled the United Kingdom to exercise control over the entire territory of Old Calabar, including Bakassi. The territory subsequently became de facto part of the republic of Nigeria, although the border was never permanently delineated.^[2] Queen Victoria redirects here. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Political status

Bakassi is currently administered by Cameroon after the end of Nigerian occupation. It enjoys a significant degree of local autonomy under traditional rulers; the current Monarch of Bakassi is Etinyin Etim Okon Edet and Efik man of Nigeria.

Territorial dispute

Nigeria and Cameroon have disputed the possession of Bakassi for some years, leading to considerable tension between the two countries. In 1981 the two countries went to the brink of war over Bakassi and another area around Lake Chad, at the other end of the two countries' common border. More armed clashes broke out in the early 1990s. In response, Cameroon took the matter to the International Court of Justice on 29 March 1994. Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ... See also International Commission of Jurists Peace Palace, seat of the ICJ. Org type Principal Organ Acronyms ICJ, CIJ Head President of the ICJ Dame Rosalyn Higgins DBE Status Active Established 1945 Website www. ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

The case was extremely complex, requiring the court to review diplomatic exchanges dating back over 100 years. Nigeria relied largely on Anglo-German correspondence dating from 1885 as well as treaties between the colonial powers and the indigenous rulers in the area, particularly the 1884 Treaty of Protection. Cameroon pointed to the Anglo-German treaty of 1913, which defined spheres of control in the region, as well as two agreements signed in the 1970s between Cameroon and Nigeria. These were the Yaoundé II Declaration of 4 April 1971 and the Maroua Declaration of 1 June 1975, which were devised to outline maritime boundaries between the two countries following their independence. The line was drawn through the Cross River estuary to the west of the peninsula, thereby implying Cameroonian ownership over Bakassi. However, Nigeria never ratified the agreement, while Cameroon regarded it as being in force. is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

ICJ verdict

The ICJ delivered its judgment on 10 October 2002, finding (based principally on the Anglo-German agreements) that sovereignty over Bakassi did indeed rest with Cameroon. It instructed Nigeria to transfer possession of the peninsula, but did not require the inhabitants to move or to change their nationality. Cameroon was thus given a substantial Nigerian population and was required to protect their rights, infrastructure and welfare. is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

The verdict caused consternation in Nigeria. It aroused vitriolic comments from Nigerian officials and the Nigerian media alike. Chief Richard Akinjide, a former Nigerian Attorney-General and Minister of Justice who had been a leading member of Nigeria's legal team, described the decision as "50% international law and 50% international politics", "blatantly biased and unfair", "a total disaster", and a "complete fraud". The Nigerian newspaper The Guardian went further, declaring that the judgment was "a rape and unforeseen potential international conspiracy against Nigerian territorial integrity and sovereignty" and "part of a Western ploy to foment and perpetuate trouble in Africa". The outcome of the controversy was a de facto Nigerian refusal to withdraw militarily from Bakassi and transfer sovereignty. The Nigerian government did not, however, openly reject the judgment but instead called for an agreement that would provide "peace with honour, with the interest and welfare of our people." Richard Akinjide is a Nigerian lawyer and politician,Born in the ancient city of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in the southwest of the country in the easrly 1930s to an influential family of warriors, he exhibited brilliance while in school. ... The Guardian is an independent newspaper published in Nigeria by Guardian Newspapers Limited. ...

The ICJ judgment was backed up by the United Nations, whose charter potentially allowed sanctions or even the use of force to enforce the court's ruling. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stepped in as a mediator and chaired a tripartite summit with the two countries' presidents on 15 November 2002, which established a commission to facilitate the peaceful implementation of the ICJ's judgement. A further summit was held on 31 January 2004. This has made significant progress, but the process has been complicated by the opposition of Bakassi's inhabitants to being transferred to Cameroon. Bakassian leaders have threatened to seek independence if Nigeria renounces sovereignty. This secession was announced on 9 July 2006, as the "Democratic Republic of Bakassi". The decision was reportedly made at a meeting on 2 July 2006 and The Vanguard newspaper of Nigeria reported the decision to secede. The decision was reportedly made by groups of militants including Southern Cameroons under the aegis of Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation (SCAPO), Bakassi Movement for Self Determination (BAMOSD), and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). UN redirects here. ... A number of international organizations and other bodies use the title secretary general or secretary-general for their chief administrative officer. ... Kofi Atta Annan GCMG (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 2007, serving two five-year terms. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Secession (disambiguation). ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in West Africa, now divided between Nigeria and Cameroon. ... The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is a militant indigenous peoples movement dedicated to armed struggle against the exploitation and oppression of the people of Niger Delta and the degradation of the natural environment by foreign multinational corporations involved in the extraction of oil in...

Resolution

On 13 June 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Paul Biya of Cameroon resolved the dispute in talks led by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York City. Obasanjo agreed to withdraw Nigerian troops within 60 days and to leave the territory completely in Cameroonian control within the next two years. Annan said, "With today's agreement on the Bakassi peninsula, a comprehensive resolution of the dispute is within our grasp. The momentum achieved must be sustained."^[3] is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... General (rtd. ... President Paul Biya of Cameroon with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, New York, 16 September 2002 Paul Biya (born 13 February 1933) has been the President of Cameroon since 1982. ... Kofi Atta Annan GCMG (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 2007, serving two five-year terms. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Withdrawal

Nigeria began to withdraw its military, comprising some 3000 troops, beginning 1 August 2006, and a ceremony on 14 August marked the formal handover of the northern part of the peninsula. The remainder will stay under Nigerian civil authority for two more years.^[4] is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Nigeria Senate ruled on November 22, 2007 that the hand over of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon is illegal. The federal government is yet to take action.

References

External links

• International Court of Justice, press release on decision
• Nigerian Government official statement in response to the ruling[Adey]
• BBC News report on handover

Coordinates: 4°35′0″N, 8°36′0″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...