INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel(070-302 23 23).Cables: Intercowt, The Hague.
Telefax (070-364 99 28). Telex 32323.
Communiqué
ua.offic:ial
for iŒmediate release
No. 94/12
30 March 1994
Cameroon brings a case against Nigeria
The following information is communicated ta the Press by the
Registry of the International Court of Justice:
on 29 March 1994 the Republic of Cameroon filed in the Registry of
the Court an Application instituting proceedings against the Federal
Republic of Nigeria in a dispute concerning the question of sovereignty
over the peninsula of Bakassi, and requesting the Court to determine the
course of the maritime frontier between the two States in sa far as that
frontier had not already been established in 1975.
As a basis for the jurisdiction of the Court, the Application refers
to the declarations made by Cameroon and Nigeria under Article 36,
paragraph 2, of the Statute of the Court, by which they accept that
jurisdiction as compulsory.
In the Application Cameroon refers ta "an aggression by the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, whose troops are occupying several Cameroonian
localities on the Bakassi peninsula", res~lti ''inggreat prejudice to
the Republic of Cameroon", and reqtiests the Court to adjudge and declare:
"l.a.l that sovereignty over.the peninsula of Bakassi is
cameroonian, by virtue of international law, and that that
peninsula is an integral part of the territory of
Cameroon;
lbl that the Federal Republic of Nigeria bas violated and is
violating the fundamental principle of respect for frontiers
inherited from colonization (yti possidetis juris);
~ that by using force against the Republic of Cameroon, the
Federal Republic of Nigeria has violated and is violating its
obligations under international treaty law and customary law;
./.
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l!il. that the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by militarily occupying
the Cameroonian peninsula of Bakassi, has violated and is
violating the obligations incumbent upon it by virtue of treaty
law and customary law;
(~ that in view of these breaches of legal obligation, mentioned
above, the Federal ReplÙ:ll ~fç:Nigeria has the express duty of
putting an end to its milit.ary presence in Cameroonian
territory, and effecting 11n immediate and unconditional
withdrawal of its troops itom the Cameroonian peninsula of
Bakassi;
l..fi.l that the internationally tmlawful acts referred to under la}_,
J..lù.,..hl, l.dL and ~ above involve the responsibility of the
Federal Republic of Nig~f~a;
~ that, consequently, reparation in an amount ta be determined
by the Court is due from ~he Federal Republic of Nigeria to
the Republic of Cameroon, which reserves the introduction
before the Court of [proc~eding or] the precise assessment
of the damage caused by ~~e Federal Republic of Nigeria;
l.fl in arder to prevent any dispute arising between the two States
concerning their maritime ~oundary, the Republic of Cameroon
requests the Court to proceed to pralong the course of its
maritime boundary with t~e Federal Republic of Nigeria up ta
the limit of the maritime_ ~cnes which international law places
under their respective jurisdictions."
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Cameroon brings a case against Nigeria