Bakassi peninsula: Biya honored 15 years after
Monday August 14, 2023 made it exactly 15 years since the Bakassi peninsula in the South West region officially became part of Cameroon.
The anniversary was celebrated in Yaounde in a ceremony called “Les Awards de l’Avenir” that took during which the President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya, was awarded the “African prize of the Wise” for the role he played in the the peaceful resolution of the Bakassi case between Cameroon and Nigeria. The prize was received by the Minister of Communication René Emmanuel Sadi, who represented the Head of State at the ceremony.
In 1994, in order to avoid war with neighboring Nigeria, Cameroon went to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after many armed clashes occurred in the disputed region. Eight years after, the ICJ ruled in favor of Cameroon and confirmed the 1913 border made by former colonial masters, Britain and Germany as the international border between the two countries. Nigeria then confirmed it would transfer Bakassi to Cameroon.
In June 2006 Nigeria signed the Green Tree Agreement, which marked the formal transfer of authority in the region and the Nigerian Army partly withdrew from Bakassi. Two years later the Nigerian Army fully withdrew from the peninsula and it was fully under Cameroonian control.
Olosegun Obasanjo, the then Nigerian President, was also honored during Monday’s ceremony for his efforts in the peaceful resolution of the case. He was awarded the prize of peace preservation.
