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Highlights of the Nigeria-Cameroon Bakassi crisis
- 21 December 1993: Nigerian army units invade the Cameroon areas of Jabane (Sandy Point) and Diamond Island.
- 18 February 1994: The Nigerian army attempts to occupy all of the Bakassi peninsula. Cameroonian forces beat back these attacks. Following these incidents, President Paul Biya addresses a message to his Nigerian counterpart suggesting ways of solving this problem through peaceful and even legal means.
- 28 February 1994: Having received no response to his message, President Biya takes the case to the United Nations Security Council and the Organisation of African Unity. Nigeria refuses to cooporate, accusing Cameroon of internationalising the conflict. Nigeria, on the other hand, proposes bilateral talks which Cameroon believes, would come to nothing.
- 29 March 1994: Cameroon refers the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague. To prevent further boarder incidents, it asks the Court to determine the maritime boarder between the two countries.
- 11 April 1994: Cameroon formally protests over Nigeria’s occupation of the Cameroonian locality of Darak.
- 6 June 1994: Cameroon sends an additional complaint to the ICJ on the question of its sovereignty over part of Cameroonian territory around Lake Chad. From now on, Nigeria uses multiple subterfuges to obstruct the legal process. The situation remains tense in the disputed areas.
- 14 June 1994: Cameroon asks the ICJ that its additional complaint be considered as an amendment to its initial request.
- 16 June: By Ordinance, the Court finds no objection to Cameroon’s request and fixes 16 March 1995 and 18 September 1995 as expiry dates for Cameroon’s and Nigeria’s petitions respectively.
- 13 December 1995: Nigeria questions the competence of the ICJ to handle the crisis.
- 15 March 1995: After hearing both parties, the ICJ takes provisional measures — the halting of hostilities in the Bakassi area and the visit of a UN mission.
- 12 February 1996: Violent clashes in the area between Cameroonian and Nigerian armies.
- 15 March 1996: The ICJ asks both parties to withdraw their troops from the disputed areas.
- 11 June 1998: The ICJ declares itself competent to examine the border crisis.
- 23 June 1998: During a meeting between the two parties, the ICJ accords Nigeria a 21 month deadline to deposit its counter petition. Cameroon suggests a 9-month deadline.
- 30 June 1998: The ICJ sets the deadline to receive Nigeria’s counter petition as 31 March 1999.
- 30 June 1999: Equatorial Guinea seeks to intervene in the matter, in order to protect its rights in the Gulf of Guinea. The ICJ accepts this request in its ruling of 21 October 1999.
- May-June 2001: Nigerian forces attack three localities in the Bakassi area.
- 5 December 2001: A Nigerian civilian plane flies over Bakassi without permission, in total violation of the provisional measures in force.
- 5 September 2002: Presidents Paul Biya of Cameroon and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria meet in Paris and discuss ways of solving the matter through confidence-building measures.
- September-October 2002: The Third Cameroon-Nigeria Joint Commission meets in Abuja, Nigeria, to finalise the solving of the problem.
- 10 October 2002: The ICJ publishes its verdict.
- 24 October: Nigeria refuses to hand over Bakassi to Cameroon, and appeals to the UN secretary-genera
Charles Nji, Cameroon, October 2002 — © Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment)
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PeaceLink 2002 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement