UN resumes Demarcation of Nigerian communities to be ceded to Cameroon

The Cameroon-Nigeria mixed Commission, supervised by the United Nations, yesterday resumed the demarcation of the Nigerian border communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State in preparation for its final ceding to the Republic of Cameroon.

The communities being demarcated include Biajua and Danare located on the boundary line between Nigeria and Cameroon but the exercise took the natives by surprise as they were not informed, yet the commission came with heavily armed Nigerian troops who gave members cover and overwhelmed the youths who had mobilise for resistance.

Last year, the UN body carried out the first phase of the exercise but following stiff opposition by the youths of all the communities that the demarcation was running through, the surveyors, Cameroon government functionaries and UN officials had to abandon it for fear of hostilities. But the demarcation resumed yesterday to the chagrin of all. The presence of Nigerian soldiers to give the demarcation party cover indicated that the Nigerian government was aware and gave its tacit support hence the angry youths who came out to question their mission were warned to stay off.

There was no official of the Cross River State Government to witness the exercise but the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Attah Ochinke, when contacted, said government was in the know and can do nothing about it since it was in compliance with the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

He denied that the exercise was for ceding of border villages to either Nigeria or Cameroon.

Hear him: "The demarcation that is going on there is to re-establish that Anglo German boundary line which the World Court adopted as the boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon. It is not a new line and it is not cutting any territory of Nigeria into Cameroon. The action now is not demarcating any new territory but re-establishing a boundary line that has existed for over a hundred years.

"The communities there are expressing anxiety because these are communities that are virtually right on the boundary line. The communities both on the Nigerian and Cameroon side are actually one community one people and they have very little respect to the boundary line in the way they live their life.