By Appolonia Emeanua
This Day (Lagos)February 21, 2002
Cameroon's Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency, Professor Ngole Ngole said his country has the might and the will to prosecute a war with Nigeria over its claim on the Bakassi Peninsula. Speaking in an interview on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) yesterday, Ngole said Bakassi is of great concern to Cameroon.
"As far as we know," the minister stressed, "we are serious. We have the might and we have the will and the 16 million people of Cameroon are behind the government to defend the territorial integrity of our country. Therefore it is not a joking matter." He was responding to a question on whether Cameroon can stand the might of Nigeria should war break out over the disputed peninsula for which both nations have been at each others throat for about 10 years.
Explaining the rationale behind Cameroon's decision to deploy troops to the disputed territory despite the dissatisfaction of the soldiers there, Ngole said although his country does not have a foreign policy of warfare, it is obliged to defend its territorial integrity by positioning defensive troops in order to check Nigeria's offensive and aggression.
The Special duties minister accused Nigeria of adventurism concerning its claim on the Peninsula. "Even our Nigerian brothers know that Bakassi has always remained part of Cameroonian territory. What has been going on since their invasion of that piece of Cameroonian territory amounts to nothing but adventurism and we hope that the International Court of Justice will put an end to it so that the two countries will continue to enjoy cordial and neighbourly relations," he said.
He, however, expressed the desire to see a quick resolution of the Bakassi case at the International Court of Justice at the Hague. "The sooner the decision from the international court, the better." He said the decision will make it possible for Cameroonian troops to return to their normal position.
Similarly, he expressed the hope that Nigeria will equally respect what ever decision is reached at the Hague and get "their troops out of our territory and return to their normal Nigerian position."
When asked whether Cameroon will take it gracefully if it loses the case, Ngole who was evasive said Nigeria knows that Bakassi has always remained part of Cameroonian territory. However, he expressed confidence in the proceedings of the case at the Hague.
Speaking further on his impressions of the proceedings, he said, "Cameroon trusts the International Court of Justice and sees the process going on right now as natural and we are hopeful and confident that the proceedings at the International Court of Justice will favour Cameroon." He said the International Court of Justice will be at the side of justice and international law and that it will favour Cameroon because Bakassi is an integral part of Cameroon,' adding, 'and it has been since colonial time."
Furthermore, he said his country wishes to continue to be good neighbors to Nigeria. "We want to continue to extend our traditional hospitality to over 3 million Nigerians in Cameroon," he stressed, adding, "Our two countries continue to enjoy cordial diplomatic relations."
Fighting between Nigeria and Cameroon over Bakassi area first flared in 1994, and both countries now have a large military presence there. The two countries have clashed several times over the peninsula since 1994, when Cameroon asked the Court to rule on sovereignty.
On the other hand, Nigeria contested the case and also argued that the court has no jurisdiction over the issue. Subsequently, The International Court of Justice decided that it does have jurisdiction to hear the case.
The dispute dates back more than a-hundred years, when the colonial powers in the region left the status of the peninsula undecided after agreeing on the rest of the border between their colonies. The Bakassi Peninsula, is thought to hold significant reserves of oil.
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