Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria) - Hearings to be held from 2 to 11 March 1998 on the issue of the jurisdiction of the Court and the admissibility of Camer

INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE

Peace Palace, 2517 KJThe Hague. Tel.(31-70-302 23 23). Cables: Intercourt, The Hague.
Telefax (31-70-364 99 28). Telex 32323. Internet address: http: Il www.icj-cij.org

Communiqué
unofficial
for immediaterelease

No. 97/16
5 December 1997

Case concerning Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria
(Cameroon v. Nigeria)

Hearings to be held.from 2 to 11 March 1998 on the issue of the jurisdiction
of the Court and the admissibility of Cameroon s1 daims

THE HAGUE, 5 December 1997. Hearings in the case concerning Land and Maritime
Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria willbe held before the International Court of Justice
(ICJ)from Monday 2 to Wednesday 11 March 1998 in theGreat Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace

in The Hague, seat of the Court.

The public sittings will be exclusively dedicated to the oral arguments of the Parties
concerning certain preliminary objections raised by Nigeria. Nigeria contends that the Court bas
no jurisdiction ta deal with the caand that the claims of Cameroon are not admissible.

Pursuant to Article 79of its Rules, the Court has ta decide on preliminary objections before
proceeding ta the merits of the case.

History of the dispute

On 29 March 1994 Cameroon fùed an application instituting proceedings against Nigeria in
a dispute concerning the questionof sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula, and requesting the
Court to determine the course of the maritime frontier between the two States in so far as that
frontier had not already been established by theMaroua Declaration. This Declaration was signed
on 1 June 1975 by the Cameroonian and Nigerian Heads of State after years of diplomatie
negotiations to solve the dispute peacefully.

As a basis for the jurisdictîon of the Court, Cameroon referred to the declarations made by
bath States by which they accept that jurisdiction as compulsory (Article 36, paragraph 2, of the
Statute of the Court).

In its Application Cameroon accused Nigeria of militarily occupying the Bakassi Peninsula.
It therefore asked the Court to adjudgeand declare that this occupation is an unlawful act, that
Nigeriabas the dutyta withdraw immediatelyand unconditionally itstroops from the Cameroonian
peninsula and that Nigeriais due to pay reparation for the damage caused.

On 6 June 1994 Cameroon filed an additional application to extend the case to a further
dispute with Nigeria over "apart of the territory of Cameroon in the area of Lake Chad", which
it claimed was also occupied by Nigeria. - 2 -

Cameroon consequent! yasked the Court to specify defmitively the frontier between itself and
Nigeria from Lake Chad to the sea, to enjoin the withdrawal Nigerian troops from Cameroonian
territory and to determine reparation for the material and non-rnaterial damage inflicted.

On 13 December 1995 Nigeria filed certain preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the
Court and to the admissibilityof the daims of Cameroon, contending inter alia that for at least
24 years both States have accepted a duty to settle ali boundary questions through the existing
bilateral machinery.

On 12 February 1996, Cameroon requested the Court to indicate provisional measures after
"serious armed incidents" had takenplace between Cameroonian and Nigerian forcesinthe Bakassi
Peninsula on 3 February 1996. Cameroon asked the Court to declare inparticular that both Parties
should abstain from ali military activity along the entire boundary until the judgment of the Court
on the merits is given.

Public sittings were held between 5 and 8 March 1996, and on 15 March 1996 the Court
delivered an Order indicating that "both Parties should ensure that no action of any kind, and
particularly no action by their armed forces, taken which might prejudice the rights of the other
in respectof whatever judgment the Court may render in the case, or which might aggravate or
extend the dispute beforet". The ICJ also ruled that they "should.observe the agreement reached
between the Ministers of Foreign Affairsin Kara, Togo, on 17 February 1996, for the cessation
of ali hostilitiinthe Bakassi Peninsula".

Website address of the Court: http://www.icj-cij.org

Information Office:
Mr. Arthur Witteveen, Secretary ofthe Court (tel: 31-70 302 2336)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (tel: 31-70 302 2337)

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