The Greentree Agreement[1] is a formal treaty which resolved the Cameroon–Nigeria border dispute over the oil and natural gas-rich Bakassi peninsula.[2] The dispute had roots as far back as 1913;[3] 1981,[4] 1994, and 1996 armed clashes between Nigeria and Cameroon took place in Bakassi.[2] The dispute was referred to the International Court of Justice and on 10 October 2002 the ICJ ruled in favor of Cameroon.[5][6]
| Greentree Agreement | |
|---|---|
| Signed | 12 June 2006 |
| Location | Greentree, New York |
| Signatories | Republic of Cameroon and the Federal Republic of Nigeria |
| Language | English |
On 12 June 2006, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Cameroonian President Paul Biya signed the Greentree Agreement concerning the withdrawal of troops and transfer of authority in the peninsula. The withdrawal of Nigerian troops was set for 60 days but allowed for a possible 30-day extension while Nigeria was allowed to keep its civil administration and police in Bakassi for another two years.[2] The dispute between the two states was settled by the International Court of Justice, who ruled in favour of Cameroon. The Nigerian government complied and withdrew its troops, motivated by the risk of losing foreign aid.[7]
A follow-up committee, composed of representatives from Cameroon, Nigeria, the UN, Germany, the US, France and the UK, was created to monitor the implementation of the agreement.[2]
On 13 August 2013, the United Nations Security Council stated that it welcomed the peaceful end two days earlier of the special transitional regime in the Bakassi Peninsula.[8]
References edit
- ^ "Greentree Agreement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
- ^ a b c d Uppsala Conflict Data Program Conflict Encyclopedia, Cameroon, Peace Agreements, http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=28®ionSelect=2-Southern_Africa# Archived 2014-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Implications of the Bakassi conflict resolution for Cameroon, Francis Menjo Baye, 2010, pg. 2
- ^ Bassey & Oshita (2010). Governance and Border Security in Africa. Malthouse. p. 231. ISBN 978-9788422075. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ^ Cameroun Bakassi peninsula - No war for oil, 12/11/2002
- ^ The Land and Maritime Boundary Between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria: Equatorial Guinea intervening) Archived 2014-11-11 at the Wayback Machine, Judgment, ICJ Reports 2002, p. 303
- ^ Whitaker Beth (2010). "Compliance among weak states: Africa and the counter-terrorism regime", Review of International Studies, pp 639–662
- ^ Library of Congress, Cameroon; Nigeria: Bakassi Peninsula Transition Completed, August 13, 2013