Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria) - Equatorial Guinea requests permission to intervene in the proceedings

INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE,
Peace Palace, 2517KJ The Hague. Te1.(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
forimmediaterelease

· No. 99135
30 June 1999

Land and Maritime Boundarv between Cameroon and Nigeria
(Cameroon v. Nigeria)

Equatorial Guinea reguests permission to intervene in the proceedings

THE HAGUE, 30 June 1999. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea today filed an Application
for permission to intervene in the case concerning Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon
and Nigeria (Cameroonv. Nigeria).

In its Application, Equatorial Guinea states that the purpose of its intervention is "to protect
[its] legal rights in the Gulf of Guinea by aUlegal means" and "to inform the Court of Equatorial
Guinea's legal rights and interests so that these may remain unaffected as the Court proceeds to

address the question the maritime boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria". Equatorial Guinea
mak:esit clear that it does not seek to intervene in those aspects of the proceedings that relate to
the land boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria, nor to become a party to the case. It further
states that, although it would be open to the three countries to request the Court not only to
determine the Cameroon-Nigeria maritime boundary but also to determine Equatorial Guinea's
maritime boundary with these two States, Equatorial Guinea bas made no such request and wishes
to continue to seek to determine its maritime boundary with its neighbours by negotiation.

In support of its Application, Equatorial Guinea stresses that one of the claims presented by

Cameroon in its Memorial of 16 March 1995 "ignore[s] the legal rights of Equatorial Guinea in the
most flagrant way" because it disregards the median line (the lîne dividing maritime zones between
two Statesof which every point is equidistant from the coasts of each of those States) and that,
• moreover, "in the bilateral diplomacy between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon ...
never once hinted that it did not accept the median line as the maritime boundary between itself and
Equatorial Guinea". Observing that "the general maritime area where the interests of Equatorial
Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon come together isn area of active ail and gas exploration and
exploitation", Equatorial Guinea maintains that "any judgment extending the boundary between
Cameroon and Nigeria across the median line with Equatorial Guinea [wouldJ be relied upon by
concessionaires who would likely ignore Equatorial Guinea's protests and proceed to explore and

exploitresources to the legal and economie detriment" of that country.

Under Article 83 of the Rules of Court, Equatorial Guinea's Application was immediate!y
communicated to Cameroon and Nigeria, and the Court fixed 16 August 1999 as the time-limit for
the filîngf written observations by those States.

It will be for the Court to decide whether the Application for permission to intervene
submitted by Equatorial Guinea should be granted. Should an objection be raised to the
Application, the Court will hear the Parties and Equatorial Guinea before deciding. - 2 -

Equatorial Guinea's Application for permission to intervene will shortly be available on the
Court's websi(htt://www.icj-cij.org).

Information Office:
Mr. Arthur Witteveen, Secretary of the Court (tel: + 31 70 302 23 36)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (tel:+ 31 70 302 23 37)
E-mail address: infonnation@icj -cij.org

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