Posted by From Florence Oretade, Abuja on
FOR not throwing their citizens into an avoidable conflagration during their protracted border disputes, Nigeria and Cameroun will on May 27 in Abuja be honoured by African leaders.
FOR not throwing their citizens into an avoidable conflagration during their protracted border disputes, Nigeria and Cameroun will on May 27 in Abuja be honoured by African leaders.
The countries, which are now described as the continent's "peace ambassadors", are being specially recognised for adopting dialogue to resolve the crises despite pressure from some foreign powers to accept funds for war.
And for President Olusegun Obasanjo, who leaves office on May 29, the event, which is aimed at letting the international community to know that Africa can handle its internal problems, is seen as a befitting parting gift.
Some of the countries expected at the forum beside Cameroun are Chad, Niger, Congo Brazaville, Republic of Congo, Libya, Sudan.
This was announced by former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola, at the weekend during a meeting of the Nigeria-Cameroun Mixed Commission in Abuja, where the final document on the delineation and delimitation of the maritime boundary between the two countries was signed.
The commission was set up by the United Nations (UN) and friends of the two countries to implement the 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The maritime boundary is 60 kilometres or (35 nautical miles) between the two nations.
The signing of the document was witnessed by the representative of the UN Secretary-General and Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ould Ahmedou Abdallah, Ajibola and Cameroun's Ahmedou Ali. It marked the fourth part of the ruling of the ICJ in October 2002.
The commission was mandated to execute World Court's ruling on four substantive disputes the Chad, land and Maritime boundary demarcation and Bakassi Peninsula.
Abdallah said the journey, which started five years, ago had reached a legal end, adding that wisdom had prevailed on the part of the two countries.
According to him, the reality of the problem that started in 1960 when Nigeria had its independence was never raised by past governments, "but today we have done. We are very happy because we have put an end to a very lengthy process. Wisdom has prevailed on the part of the Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo and the Cameroun's President Paul Biya."
Abdallah commended the dialogue approach adopted by the two leaders even in the face of pressure sometimes from the international community to receive funds for war.
The UN envoy noted that dispute had led to the deepening of economy and the relation between the two countries which if it had translated into conflict could have hampered development.
In his remark, an enthusiastic Ajibola said this day marked the history of the country in reaching a conclusive end on a tortuous matter that did not result into war.
Ajibola, one time World Court judge, said he was thankful to God for sparing his life to witness the virtual end of the mandate of the commission, which took about three years before it reached an agreement on the delimitation of the maritime boundary that had been more thorny.
He said: " I wish to beat my chest, that a tortuous matter of this nature has been peacefully resolved."
He disclosed that a summit to be attended by 11 African heads of state to share in the Nigeria - Cameroun success story on May 27.
Ajibola said: "It has now been agreed that in line with the principle of ensuring that this message is passed to the whole world, Africa there is going to be a summit. The summit is fixed for 27th of May before the President leaves office."