INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel.(31-70-302 23 23). Cables: Intercourt, The Hague.
Telefax (31-70-364 99 28). Telex 32323. Internet address : http: // www.icj-cij.org
Communiqué
unofficial
forimmediaterelease
Last Communiqué No. 2002/1
issued in001: No. 36 28 January 2002
Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria
(Cameroon v. Nigeria: Equatorial Guinea intervening)
The Court will hold public hearings from
Monday 18 Februarv to Thursday 21 March 2002
THE HAGUE, 28 January 2002. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal
judicial organf the United Nations, will hold public hearings in the case concerning the Land and
Maritime Boundarv between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria: Equatorial Guinea
intervening) from Monday 18 February to Thursday 21 March 2002 at the Peace Palace in The
Hague, seatof the Court.
In its Application instituting proceedings dated 29 March 1994, Cameroon described the
dispute as"relat[ing] essentially to the question of sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula", which
it claimed was in part under military occupation by Nigeria, and requested the Court tone
the course of the maritime boundary between the two States beyond the line fixed in 1975". In an
additional application of June 1994, Cameroon extended the case to a further dispute with Nigeria
relating tothe question of sovereignty over a part of the territory of Cameroon in the area of Lake
Chad", which it claimed was also occupied by Nigeria. Cameroon asked the Court to specify
defmitively the frontier between itself and Nigeria from Lake Chad to the sea, to order the
withdrawal of Nigerian troops from Cameroonian territory and to determine reparation for the
material and non-material damage inflicted. Nigeria rejected the claims made by Cameroon. In
May 1999, Nigeria, in counter-claims, asked the Court to declare that the reported incidents in
different sectorsf the boundary "engage[d] the international responsibility of Cameroon, with
compensation in the form of damages, if not agreed between the Parties, then to be awarded by the
Court in a subsequent phasef the case".
The programme of the hearings will be as follows:
First roundf oral arguments
Monday 18to Tuesday 26 February 2002: Cameroon
Thursday 28 February to Friday 8 March 2002: Nigeria
Second round of oral arguments
Monday 11to Tuesday 12 March 2002: Cameroon
Thursday 14to Friday 15 March 2002: Nigeria -2-
Equatorial Guinea intervening
First round of oral arguments
Monday 18March 2002: Equatorial Guinea
Tuesday 19March 2002 (moming): Cameroon
Tuesday 19March 2002 (aftemoon): Nigeria
Second round of oral arguments
Wednesday 20 March 2002 (aftemoon): Equatorial Guinea
Thursday 21 March 2002 (aftemoon): Cameroon
Thursday 21 March 2002 (aftemoon): Nigeria
Hearings will generally take place from 10 a.m. to 1p.m.; on Monday 11, Thursday 14 and
Tuesday 19March from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; on Wednesday 20 March
from 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. and on Thursday 21 March from 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. and from 4.45 p.m. to
6.15 p.m.
History of the proceedings
As indicated hereabove, Cameroon filed its Application instituting proceedings against
Nigeria on 29 March 1994. As a basis for the jurisdiction of the Court, Cameroon relied on the
declarations made by both States whereby they accepted that jurisdiction as compulsory (Art. 36,
para. 2, of the Statute of the Court). lt filed an Additional Application on 6 June 1994.
By an Order of 16 June 1994, the Court noted that Nigeria had no objection to the Additional
Application being treated as an amendment to the initial Application, and accordingly fixed
16March 1995 as the time-limit for the filing of a Memorial by Cameroon and 18 December 1995
as the time-limit for the filing a Counter-Memorial by Nigeria. The Memorial of Cameroon was
filed within the time-limit thus prescribed.
On 13 December 1995, within the time-limit for the filing ofits Counter-Memorial, Nigeria
raised preliminary objections to the jurisdiction the Court and to the admissibility of Cameroon's
claims. The proceedings on the merits were accordingly suspended and the President of the Court
fixed 15May 1996 as the time-limit within which Cameroon had to present a written statement of
its observations and submissions on those preliminary objections. That statement was filed within
the time-limit thus prescribed.
On 12February 1996, Cameroon requested the Court to indicate provisional measures after
"serious armed incidents" had taken place between Cameroonian and Nigerian forces in the
Bakassi Peninsu1a. Public hearings were held between 5 and 8 March 1996 and, on
15 March 1996, the Court made an Order stating that "both Parties should ensure that no action of
any kind, and particularly no action by their armed forces, is taken which might prejudice the rights
of the other in respect of whatever judgment the Court may render in the case, or which might
aggravate or extend the dispute before it''.
On 11 June 1998, the Court delivered a Judgment whereby it rejected seven of the
preliminary objections raised by Nigeria and declared that an eighth one would have to be dealt
with during the proceedings on the merits of the dispute. It further declared that it had jurisdiction
in the case and found Cameroon's claims admissible. This Judgment formed the object of a request
for interpretation by Nigeria, which, in separate proceedings, was declared inadmissible by a
Judgment of 25 March 1999. -3-
By an Order of 30 June 1998, the Court, after ascertaining the views of the Parties, fixed
31 March 1998 as the time-lirnit for the filing of the Counter-Memorial ofNigeria. At the request
of Nigeria this time-limit was extended to 31 May 1999 by an Order of 3 March 1999.
Nigeria's Counter-Memorial was filed within the time-limit thus extended. lt contained
counter-claims, which have been referred to above.
By an Order of 30 June 1999, the Court ruled that those counter-claims were "admissible as
such and form[ed] part of the current proceedings". It decided that Cameroon should submit a
Reply and Nigeria a Rejoinder, relating to the claims of both Parties, and fixed the time-limits for
those pleadings at 4 April2000 and 4 January 2001 respectively.
On 30 June 1999, Equatorial Guinea filed an Application for permission to intervene in the
case, stating that the purposefits intervention would be "to protect [its] legal rights in the Gulf of
Guinea by ali legal means" and "to inform the Court of Equatorial Guinea's legal rights and
interests so that theseay remain unaffected as the Court proceeds to address the question of the
· maritime boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria". Equatorial Guinea made it clear that it did
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. The Court fixed 16 August 1999 as the
time-limit for the filing of written observations by Cameroon and Nigeria on Equatorial Guinea's
Application. Those written observations were filed within the time-limit thus prescribed.
By an Order of 21 October 1999, the Court authorized Equatorial Guinea to intervene in the
case "to the extent, in the manner and for the purposes set out in its Application for permission to
intervene". lt fixed 4 April 2001 as the time-limit for the filing of a written statement by Equatorial
Guinea and 4 July 2001 as the time-limit for the filing ofwritten observations by Cameroon and by
Nigeria on that statement. Those documents were filed within the time-limits thus prescribed.
In the above-mentioned Order of 30 June 1999, whereby it had found that the counter-claims
submitted by Nigeria were admissible, the Court, after indicating that it considered it necessary for
Cameroon to file a Reply and for Nigeria to file a Rejoinder, relating to the claims of both Parties,
had added the following:
"it is necessary moreover, in order to ensure equality between the Parties, to reserve
the right of Cameroon to present, within a reasonable period of time, its views in
writing a second time on the Nigerian counter-claims, in an additional pleading which
may be the subject of a subsequent Order" (see Press Release 99/37).
Upon a request by Cameroon and after Nigeria had indicated that it had no objection, the
Court, by an Order of 20 February 2001, authorized the submission by Cameroon of such an
additional pleading. lt decided that the additional pleading, which would relate solely to the
counter-claims submitted by Nigeria, should be filed no later than4 July 2001. The pleading was
filed within the time-limit thus prescribed.
NOTETO THEPRESS
1. The public hearings will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in
The Hague, Netherlands. Mobile telephones and beepers are allowed in the courtroom provided
they are turned off or set on silent mode. Any offending deviee will be temporarily retained.
2. Members of the Press will be entitled to attend on presentation of a press card. The tables
reserved for them are situated on the far leftf the public entrance of the courtroom. -4-
3. Photographs may be taken for a few minutes at the opening and at the end of the sittings.
Television crews may film, but advance notice should be given to the Information Department (see
paragraph 7).
4. In the Press Room, located on the ground floorof the Peace Palace (Room 5), the Court's
proceedings will be relayed through a loudspeaker.
5. The verbatim records of the public sittings will be published daily on the Court's website
(http:1/www .icj-cij.org).
6. Members of the Press who wish to make telephone calls may use the phone located in the
Press Room for collect calls or the public telephones in the Post Office in the basement of the
Peace Palace.
7. Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary of the Court (tel.: + 31 70 302 2336), and
Mrs. Laurence Blairon, Information Officer (tel.:+ 31 70 302 2337), are available to deal with any
requests for information and for making arrangements for television coverage.
Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria; Equatorial Guinea intervening) - The Court will hold public hearings from Monday 18 February to Thursday 21 March 2002