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An Analysis Of Nigeria – Cameroon Relations (1990 – 2007)
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It was understood that the agreement signed in
1975 by the two leaders would become law only after it was ratified by
both countries legislature. In the case of Nigeria the legislature at
that time was the supreme military council under Gowon, but in the case
of Cameroon, the elected legislature took no time in ratifying the
agreement since it was mostly in their favour. The Nigerian Supreme
Military Council under Gowon refused to ratify the agreement because it
noticed serious anomalities in the agreement which gave away substantial
part of what should have been Nigerian territory to Cameroon on the
ground that Cameroon had already got some oil rigs placed in the
territorial waters of the disputed area which Cameroon was not prepared
to remove. It is believed that that General Gowon made this generous
concession to the Cameroon in recognition of and appreciation of
Cameroons stand behind Nigeria during the difficult period of the
Nigerian civil war. However, members of the supreme military council, in
the Gowon’s Administration believed that he ought to have shown
Nigeria’s appreciation to Cameroon in some other ways, instead of
surrendering (Gave Away) Nigerian’s rights and those of further
generations to Cameroon.12
The Nigeria –Cameroon border is the most
sensitive security zone of all our neighbours, because of this
unresolved border problems in the Bakassi peninsula and is also
potentially very explosive issue in the relationship of the two
countries, because Nigeria shares ethnic affinity in both the north and
south west of Cameroon. For instance, 98 percent of the people who live
in the Bakassi peninsula are Nigerians from the Cross River State.
Access to Calabar port to the southern eastern coast of Nigeria is
controlled by the Bakassi peninsula. The port serves both merchant and
Naval shipping, which makes it strategically important to Nigeria. On
many occasions the Cameroonian security guards the Gendarmes have killed
Nigerians in the surrounding villages of the Bakassi peninsula.
However,
the dispute over the Bakassi peninsular is not only the product of
redefinition of boundary by the colonial powers but more so a product of
resource allocation and clash of tradition and modernity in which the
pre-colonial history of the ancient kingdom of Calabar haunted the
post-colonial reality of contemporary Nigeria and Cameroon. In
pre-colonial times, the ancient kingdom of Calabar became part of
Nigeria in 1914 under British rule. Among the many factors that
contributed to the Nigeria – Cameroon conflict was the legacy of both
the imperialist colonial rule and the neo-colonial regimes in African at
the time, the imperialist-capitalist and the colonial masters like
Portugal, German, France and Britain and their shrewd and selfish
economic, political and strategic co-operations of the 19th Century
acted as nursery for future African conflict. The ground work for such
future conflicts in the region were laid through things like the divide
and rule system of administration and the partitioning of African States
and its peoples irrespective of the damage it caused to the peoples
language, socio-political life and cultural affiliations and ancestral
lineage. This selfish behaviour divided ethnic groups into territories
controlled by the colonial lords and then stifled the reign of peace in
the region as divided families opposed the system and fought for the
unity of their families and friends. This response became rampart across
the board in Africa as people objected the cruel and selfish
destruction of their culture caused by the colonial masters. This
selfish, mean and sneaky behaviour ignited many African conflicts
especially the Bakassi peninsula case study. It is important to note
that the primary cause of the conflict between Nigeria and Cameroon was
the discovery of natural crude oils in the region. It is interesting to
say that long before the discovery of oil in Bakassi, Cameroonians and
Nigerians in the region lived in harmony although few squabbles were
registered here and there. The reason both countries did not pay
attention to Bakassi is in part because it was a remote area inhabited
by people considered to be non-consequential. Notwithstanding, when oil
and other natural resources and minerals were discovered in the
peninsula, attention from both countries and also from their colonial
connections was ignited, thus creating tension, argument and in some
cases death. This is sad and really hypocritical because if oils was
never discovered in this region, both regimes would have cared less
about the region with its poor, remote, marshy and non-consequential
inhabitants.13
However, this boundary is a product of the
Anglo-German treaties and agreement 1885 and 1913: and Anglo French
agreement during the mandate and trusteeship period.
THE ANGLO-GERMAN BORDER ARRANGEMENT
The
foundation of the conflict: Much of the current border between Nigeria
and Cameroon was determined in a series of accords and agreement between
the British and Germans, beginning with the accord of April – June 1885
that defined the German and British spheres of influence from the coast
of the Gulf of Guinea. This agreement placed the dividing line on the
right bank of the Riodel-Ray, which reaches the sea between 8042 East
and 8046 east.
In a bid to correct these flaws, the Germans and the
British signed yet another agreement in 1890, which further modified the
boundary. This time the Anglo-German spheres of influence were defined
by a provisionary line from the head of Rio-del-Rey creek to a point on
the British Admiralty chat at about longitude 808 East.
On 14th April
another Anglo-German accord was signed with the aim of clarifying the
ambiguities of the previous one. It clearly stipulated the boundary
between the British Cross River protectorate and the German Cameroons.
In November 1893 a further agreement was reached that extended the
border up to Lake Chad, and in March 1906 another accord was signed
which defined the frontiers from Yola to Chad.14
Despite the
multiplicity of agreements, Britain and Germany failed to agree on a
satisfactory border. While the Germans who had realised the coastlines
strategic importance, insisted that the Akpa-Yafe River was the ideal
natural dividing line, the British preferred Ndian River. As far as the
British were concerned, the latter River formed the natural boundary
between the Bantu peoples of the Cameroons and the Efiks of Nigeria.
After a long negotiation the British reluctantly accepted the German
preference, which was formalized in an agreement signed on 20 April
1906. The starting point of the new coastal boundary was the
intersection of the channel linking king point with Bakassi point and
the Akwa-Yafe River. Between may 1907 and October 1909, Britain and
Germany exchanged a series of notes, giving more precision to the
borders of their colonial possessions of Cameroon and Nigeria, from Yola
to the Atlantic Ocean.15
The last and probably most important border
agreement was signed on 11 March 1913. It is particularly significant
for at least three reasons. It was purportedly signed to correct the
short comings of all the earlier agreements, as a result of the outbreak
and outcome of World War II, this agreement turned out to be the last
between the British and the Germans, and it has played a key role in all
subsequent border negotiations and tensions between the two
territories.
Some key clauses of the 1913 agreement were specifically
aimed at addressing sensitive issues surrounding the volatile maritime
portions of the border, particularly relevant are articles 18, 19, 20,
21, 27 and 29. Article 18 defined the boundary line at the coast as
follows: it follows the thalweg of Akpakorum River dividing the mangrove
islands near iKang… It then follows the thalweg of the Akwa-Yafe as far
as a straight line joining Bakassi point and king point.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The major significance of this study is that it will examine and highlight Nigeria – Cameroon Relations from 1999 to 2004. It will also suggest how areas of conflict could be resolved by both countries. This project research also hopes to contribute to the academic literature on Nigeria’s foreign policy through coverage of a turbulent period in Nigeria – Cameroon history.Following the judgement by the International Court of Justice that ceded 33 Nigerian villages around Lake ... Continue reading---
