Rebels Declare 'Independence' Of Bakassi

By Azore Opio & Francis Tim Mbom

Militant youths in the Bakassi Peninsula, Friday, July 25, declared the oil rich area independent.

According to a Nigerian newspaper, the "Sunday VANGURD", a group calling itself the Bakassi Movement for Self-Determination, BAMOSD, said it had joined forces with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, in carrying out the secession.

A week earlier, Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation SCAPO, together with the indigenes of Bakassi Peninsula had threatened secession.The "Sunday VANGUARD" reported that BAMOSD dispatched an e-mail signed by one Sive Ogan to its correspondent in Port Harcourt and "said the decision to secede was taken at a meeting held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on July 2, 2006.

The Declaration

The e-mail titled the "Die is Cast," says the "new country's" capital is Akwa in the peninsula.
The "Sunday VANGUARD" also reported that the group stated that it had deployed its members in the creeks and was ready to do battle with any government that opposes its action.

The group warned the Nigerian government not to send its troops to attack the members "because such action would spell dire consequences both for the soldiers and the government."

The e-mail reads thus: "Now that the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, has sealed the deal made between the Presidents of Nigeria, Cameroon and the companies exploring oil over the blood of the Bakassi people, the die is cast. Therefore, BAMOSD now declares as follows:

That with the withdrawal of  Nigerian troops from the Bakassi Peninsula, which takes away our last line of defence as Nigerian citizens and exposes our people to perpetual and permanent bondage of exploitation, under-development and death, which characterised life in the larger Niger Delta and the Gulf of Guinea over the last 50 years of multi-national oil companies occupation with the connivance of Nigerian leaders, we are left with no other option than to defend our land and people by any means necessary.

"That our peaceful, social economic, historical and ancestral ties with the rest of the people of the Niger Delta leave us not only with no other frontier, but with no other option than to join forces with the valiant and heroic freedom fighters of the Niger Delta.

"That BAMOSD by this declaration is subsuming all its activities on the Bakassi Peninsula into the larger war of liberation of the Nigeria Delta, under the joint leadership of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, and other joints commands for the protection, defence and security of its people and resources.

Other forces or operators found within the territorial waters of Bakassi shall be considered enemy forces and dealt with accordingly."As we speak, half of our soldiers from all parts of Niger Delta are in the creeks awaiting the dooms day. Nigeria handing over Bakassi to Cameroon means that Nigeria has no right to confront our soldiers, so we are calling for Nigerian government to stay clear and allow us face our battle, because any attempt to clamp on any of our soldiers means confrontation and we shall react likewise.

We also want to inform the world that henceforth, Bakassi has become an independent state and shall control its resources. To this effect, all operators, Nigerian or foreign, exploring or exploiting resources on the Bakassi Peninsula that has not consulted with the appropriate authorities should leave the territory immediately. We emphasise again; leave our waters immediately. Do not say you were not warned. There will be no further warnings…"

The same tabloid also reported that only last weekend, SCAPO had threatened to pull Bakassi out of Nigeria and with Southern Cameroons create Ambazonia Republic if the Federal Government fulfilled its promise of handing over the peninsula to Cameroon.
According to "VANGUARD", SCAPO conveyed its message in separate letters to President Olusegun Obasanjo, his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya and UN scribe, Mr. Kofi Annan.

These threats of secession and the declaration of the independence of Bakassi comes in the wake of Nigerian President, Musa Yar'Adua's, stated commitment to respect the August 14 final handing over of the peninsula to Cameroon.

According to the Nigerian tabloid, Yar'Adua is said to have been speaking in Abuja during a reception accorded to Cameroon's Minister of External Relations, H E Henri Eyebe Ayissi.
Yar'Adua is reported to have pledged Nigeria's commitment to ensure that the terms of the Green Tree Agreement of 2006 are respected to the letter, now and even after August 14.

"As major stakeholders in the area, we have a joint responsibility to ensure that we take a leading role in the establishment of structures and a force to safeguard our people and resources towards a collective security of the Gulf of Guinea," Yar'Adua is quoted to have said.

"We must work closely together at the Mixed Commission on agreements that need to be signed and implemented in the aftermath of the August 14 handover," Yar'Adua added.
Minister Eyebe is reported to have borne a special message from the Cameroonian President, Paul Biya, to Yar'Adua, on Monday, July 28, following the recent Niger Delta rebel attacks in the Bakassi area.

Last July 24 attacks are said to be a line of calculated moves by the rebels to puncture the planned complete handover scheduled for August 14."This Day", still in its report insinuates that there may be other attacks in the offing.

"This Day gathered that the militants are planning another invasion of key areas of the Peninsula and are already on the high seas with 11 boats in preparation for the attack."
The paper goes on to report that the Rebels are acting under the blessings of the Niger Delta militants

Meantime, there are reports of an upsurge of frightened Nigerians in Bakassi who have since been fleeing the area. They are said to be escaping to Ikang and other areas in Nigeria.

Hypocrisy?

Earlier last December, an editorial in "This Day" had described the row in the Senate over the status of Bakassi as hypocritical.According to the editorial, it would seem that the decision to cede the territory was a unilateral one.

The editorial reported that from what a few members of the Senate were saying then, former President Olusegun Obasanjo acted without the approval of the Senate as required by section 12 of the constitution.

According to the editorial, that section of the constitution stipulates that "no treaty between the Federation and any other country shall have the force of law except to the extent to which any such treaty has been enacted into law by the National Assembly."
It seems then, that the provision was not followed in ceding Bakassi to Cameroon, hence the threat of secession.

Comments

[Legima Doh]

Fellow comrades,
There is no way to conceal the truth forever.The truth here is that Bakassi neither belongs to La Republique du cameroun nor to the Federal Republique of Nigeria.It belongs unequivocally to the Southern Cameroons.This is the legimate landlord of that land.For the inhabitants of that land,by right they are people of the territory that owns the land by virtue of long term domicile.The land is underdeveloped while horrendous exploitation of its natural resources is ongoing.The federal goverment of Nigeria has failed to develope the area over the period that the land has been under her stewardship.La Republique's bid to encroach the land to herself is also linked to her earnest desire to ruthlessly exploit all the resources of the Southern Cameroons and leave the territory devoid of any resource.That is what la Republique has been doing like in Limbe and Ndian.By right as earlier explained above,the inhabitants of Bakassi are Southern Cameroonians and the fight for liberation is fought from every frontier.The message is clear that La Republique is not the owner of the land.She is a thief and must be treated in that land as a thief. The idea of secession here must be well understood as it is often misread.The inhabitants of the land had been under the aegis of the Nigerian government who stood as a custodian of the land but since the government is manifesting a quasi connivance with that of la republique, the inhabitants of the land are left with no option than to dissociate themselves from the Nigerian government and to fight and defend the land from the alien invaders called La Republique.The world must understand this because it is a herald of doom.This what always happens when the truth is distorted.For the inhabitants to be settled, the land must go back to its legitimate owner which is neither Nigeria nor La Republique.The militants and rebels are well informed about the case and know what they are doing.I hereby condemn all the forces of La Republique who are blindly and uncritically going to a battle that has no rational and legal basis.The Southern Cameroons had won the Federal government of Nigerian in the Abuja high court in the case Southern Cameroons vs Federal government of Nigeria which was manned by former Nigerian Minister for justice Prince Bola Ajibola.Yes I say Bakassi had prima facie been declared indepent since 1999 in radio Buea.When the Southern Cameroons was declared independent ,Bakassi which is an integral part of the Southern Cameroon was automatically declared independent.Now is the phase of using intellectual and asundy resources to put the declaration to fruition.
God is behind the Southern Cameroons.
God bless us.
Legima Doh,
ScNc

[mk the southerner]

The UN is to be blamed for every thing that is happening in Bakassi and that will still happen in the whole of Southern Cameroons.

I do remember being interviewed over the BBC as to the Bakassi case. I said if a third party ( Southern Cameroons) is not called in this case? there will never be any lasting solution as it will go round and round. I also told the BBC that both Nigeria and La Republique du Cameroun are all thieves, going to court over what does not belong to them. Finally I said the UN should stop shying away from the truth and address it while they have time.

This is the first diplomatic error of the UN under Koffi Anan. What will Ban Ki Moon do?

[nihilism01]

Ok people cut the crap with this southern Cameroon nonsense. They have no legal standing and have not been recognized by any organization worth the mention, so please spare us. As for the Bakasi "rebel"
"who for his country brave will feel from the invader
or who's ignoble life to save will traitor like degrade her...his must be a cowards heart who would not make a stubborn stand"

[red flag]

nihilism.

HAVE EVER HEARD OF EU. OF UNPO?
ALL THESE ORGANISATIONS HAD RECOGNISES SOUTHERN CAMEROONS. YOU THIEF AND BANDITS AS ALL FRENCH CAMEROUNESE ARE BENT ON BELIVING ONLY YOUR OWN LIES.
SOUTHERN CAMEROONS MUST BE INDEPENDENT BY ALL MEANS

[Mburlih]

Of course Bakassi is unquestionably Southern Cameroons territory.
What our brothers and sisters who will soon be refugees in Nigeria should do is join in the Restoration struggle for the Independence of Southern Cameroons. That the French masters of LRC are so scared to be making premature declarations of support for their subjugate Biya shows that the fight will be fierce and all hands will be on deck from the highlands of Nkambe to the Peninsula. The battle ground will be wider than LRC thinks.

[TETEDURE]

Be sure that cameroonians want peace.I know that biya's regime have destroyed our hope for progress and development.But it is not an argument for a small group of dreamers of scnc to support nigerian bandits who are trying to prevent the handing over of bakassi.Any movement ,group , trying to attack or divide Cameroon will be destroyed by all means.
scnc represents nothing:a handfull of thieves .

[TETEDURE]

Cameroon will remain one .scapo ,bamosd ,scnc are ridiculous .We cameroonians know how to fight bandits.wait and see.

[mk the southerner]

Tete or what ever you call yourself time will tell.

[M Nje]

TETEDURE,
It is okay to be ignorant about an issue. But it is not okay to not know that you are ignorant. The people of British Southern Cameroon have made their case to the public including on this forum many times. That case is presented with legal FACTS to back it up.

If you think there are wrong, provide your own FACTUAL EVIDENCE to justify your claim. Just saying "Cameroun" will remain one does not make a case. It exposes naivety. You can continue to fool yourself in your delusional concept of a one and undivided Cameroun. Unfortunately, as long as such logic is without factual backing, it is what it is; just a worthless statement.

There is a good precedence in the Southern Cameroons case. In any of those cases, the truth has always prevailed. Hitler tried with Czechoslovakia and failed. Ethiopia tried with Eretria and failed, Somali is now failing to do the same with Somaliland.
The people of Bakassi are neither Nigeria nor Citizens of La Republique. There are citizens of the UN Trusted Territory of Southern Cameroons. As Southern Cameroonians, they have a legal right to Self Determination. If you have ever read the transcript from the International Court of Justices concerning this case, then you would have been familiar with the idea that these people are Southern Cameroonians.

Do yourself a favor to research issues before you make comments? You seem to be very very delusional.

[mbarakanamozo]

What the hell are these Rebels thinking? They have no locus standi to talk on bakassi.Bakassi belongs to West Cameroon and when the time comes,we shall claimed it.

Visit www.baretaonline.blogspot.com

[M Nje]

mbarakanamozo,
Which group did you have in mind when you talked about “these Rebels?” If that refers to the indigenous people of Bakassi, then you may be mistaking. The people of Bakassi have a locus standi on Bakassi. The right to Self Determination extends to them. That land belongs to them. They have inhabited that land as far back as the year 1450.
While they are legally Southern Cameroonians, the indigenous people of Bakassi have always been ruled by Nigeria. As a result, most of them grew up thinking there are Nigerians while the international recognized boundary between Nigeria and Southern Cameroons put them within the territory of Southern Cameroons not Nigeria. The question you need to ask is; why were they then ruled by Nigeria all these years? Why were they not part of Southern Cameroons?
Here is a summary response to those questions.
During the scramble for Africa, the British arrived and Queen Victoria signed a Treaty of Protection with the King and Chiefs of Calabar on 10th September, 1884. (Bakassi was part of the Kingdom of Calabar) . That agreement required among other thinks that the British will trade with the local indigenous, in response the local indigenous promised not to sign another agreement with another foreign country. It never gave the British ownership of the Kingdom of Calabar of which Bakassi was a part.
From 1884 to 1913, Bakassi was part of Calabar. In 1913, the British, without the consent of the people of Calabar or Bakassi, unilaterally handed Bakassi to the Germans in the Anglo-German treaty of 1913. But the people of Bakassi were never separated from Calabar in spite of this agreement. They continued to be part of Calabar eventhough on paper, they were part of German kamerun.

After the defeat of the Germans, the territory that the Germans had was divided between the British and the French. The British obtained the territory that was named UN Trusted Territory of Southern Cameroon. That part of Bakassi that the British handed to the German was part of Southern Cameroons. Once again the British were now in control of Bakassi that they just handed to the German. However, this time around, at least on paper, the territory was part of the former German territory of Southern Cameroons not as part of Calabar. This was all on PAPER because the people of Bakassi still saw themselves then and now as part of Calabar not Southern Cameroons. Even after the independence of Nigeria, these people were and still say themselves as part of Nigeria although on paper, there were not part of Nigeria since the Anglo-German agreement of 1913.

They do not recognize the Anglo-German treaty of 1913 which handed their territory unilaterally to the Germans, made them part of German Kemarun and subsequently part and citizens of Southern Cameroons. Their main argument and that of the Nigerian government is that the agreement between the Queen and the king and Chiefs of Calabar in 1884 did not give the British the power to hand their territory like a gift to the Germans without their concern.

So to call these people ‘these Rebel” is to show a clear lack of understanding of their historical point of reference. They clearly have a locus standi on Northern Bakassi because it has been part of their land as far as the year 1450. It is insulting when the regime in Yaounde is asking these people to obtain residence permit to stay in a land that has been that of their ancestors for more that 550 years.

[Radicalbrother]

Dear SCNC activist,
If you can not convince someone , better confuse him. In this very forum, i was made to understand that the recent unrest at Bakassi is more of an internal(Cameroon) affair rather than external( NIGERIA)
That said, southern Cameroonians have been victims of the unrest at Bakassi putting me at doubts that who could actually be responsible for such gruesome acts.
I am tempted to believe that SCNC ACTIVISTS are opportunists who will like to identify themselves with any other movement opposing the green tree accord. Whether, it was a brown tree accord or what so ever you wish to call it, I feel diplomacy through dialogue is better than spilling blood. Remember that a pen is more powerful than the gun.
What justification can the rebels at Bakassi give for killing southern Cameroonians you claim are fighting for your own interest? BAKASSI CAN NEVER BE INDEPENDENT BY JOINING SOUTHERN CAMEROON. THIS WILL BE THESAME ERROR THAT WAS MADE WHEN LA REPUBLIQUE WAS ( EAST CAMEROON) WAS JOINING WEST CAMEROON.
Please move with your eyes opened today or you will use them tomorrow to cry.Wake up now or you may think you are awake only to one day realize that you are still sleeping and dreaming. THERE IS NO WITNESS TO YOUR DREAM

[M Nje]

Radicalbrother,
What is your point? What exactly are you trying to say? Be specific.

Bakassi became part of Southern Cameroons in 1913 after the Anglo-German treaty. The problem is that the British government failed to explain it to the people that they have signed to hand their territory to the German in 1913. Whether the British had the right to hand the territory to the German without the consent of the local people is the subject of the dispute that made itself to the International Court of Justices (ICJ) at the Hague. The Court ruled that the British had the right to do so. Hence Nigeria lost the case at The Hague.

The question the Court at The Hague did not answer is: does La Republique Du Cameroun have any sovereignty of Southern Cameroons. The question was not answered because Nigeria refused to raise the question before the court even though Southern Cameroons took Nigeria to court and won. The Federal Court in Nigeria clearly gave the Nigeria government an opportunity to raise that question but they refused.

If you read through the transcript of the case at the ICJ, you will see that La Republique made the argument that Bakassi belongs to Southern Cameroons not La Republique Du Cameroun. They never made the case that Bakassi belongs to La Republique Du Cameroun because that will not have had any merit. The fact that La Republique presented the case against Nigeria for Southern Cameroun does not mean the Court recognizes that La Republique had ownership over Southern Cameroons. Any member of the court such as Spain, Iran, Chad, etc etc could have brought the case before the court for Southern Cameroons, and against Nigeria.

[Radicalbrother]

M NJE,
I thought my points were very clear except you want to shy away from the truth for it is tantamount to running away from your shadow.
You can not solve a problem without probably knowing the cause. Follow the excerpt beneath whether you will reason with me.
After the partition of Cameroon in 1916, 1/5 of the territory was given to the British referred to as British Southern Cameroon and British Northern Cameroon. In 1953, there was the Eastern Regional Crisis within the National Council for Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) headed by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and assisted by Eyo Ita. Eyo Ita betrayed Zik and ST Muna who was then the lone Cameroonian minister of labour took sides with Eyo Ita and he was dismissed. Then there was the Benevolent Neutrality signed by nine parliamentarians.
In 1961, there was the plebiscite. Note here that Southern CAMEROON then was granted quasi independence because they were not having enough institutions for full autonomy .e.g. they were not having a flag. East CAMEROON came in with their flag and imposed on Southern CAMEROON and the second star was added to signify the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, one star disappeared reasons best known to Ahijo then and was called the United republic of Cameroon. In 1984 Biya without consulting any body changed the name to Republic of Cameroon reasons best known to him.
Chief BOLA Ige(then Attorney General of Nigeria) who was representing Nigeria in the BAKASSI issue was fast enough to remind La Republique that Nigeria shares maritime boundary with Southern Cameroon and not La republique. This was indirectly telling La republique that they do have a say at Bakassi and so with shame La republique had to option than to mention the issue of southern CAMEROON during the judgment
.Southern Cameroon was then the one to exploit this opportunity and make their case known rather than waiting for the court to ask the question whether La republique had control over southern Cameroon.. That is why i say you guys are sleeping, Wake UP

[Ma Mary]

Exactly, Radicalbrother. The issue was raised in amicus briefs to the ICJ, but was not considered because of "no standing". ICJ is a country club for the big countries and their nchindas.

Further more, you may not say "you guys" without including yours truly. The struggle is not being engaged by Southern Cameroonians with more rights than other Southern Cameroonians, just by conscious people who care.

[Essono]

Those who think they can take advantage of the bellicose situation in Bakassi for their dubious intentions will be dealt with severely.The ICJ couldn't have ruled for Bakassi to be Cameroon knowing that the so called "Southern Cameroons" isn't part of Cameroon.The fact that the ICJ ruled for Cameroon in this case is ample evidence of the fact that Cameroon as it is today is a "neuclus".Something that can't be divided.Cameroon is one and indivisble and shall remain.

You can cry and shout and do whatever u want,the entity called Cameroon shall remain.Remember what happened to the Biafrans.A word to a wise is enough.

[M Nje]

Radicalbrother,
I responded to your comment because in your comments above on Sunday 03 August, 2008 at 2:47PM you wrote:

"BAKASSI CAN NEVER BE INDEPENDENT BY JOINING SOUTHERN CAMEROON."

My response, on the same day at 4:06PM, to your posting was to remind you that Bakassi does not have to join Southern Cameroons. Bakassi has been part of Southern Cameroons since 1913. So you were wrong to say:"BAKASSI CAN NEVER BE INDEPENDENT BY JOINING SOUTHERN CAMEROON."

Do you agree with my conclusion that Bakassi has been part of Southern Cameroons since 1913 or do you have any questions?

With regard to your last posting, there are many inaccurate statements that you made.

First you said: "After the partition of Cameroon in 1916, 1/5 of the territory was given to the British referred to as British Southern Cameroon and British Northern Cameroon."

This is what La Republique has been teaching our people and it is NOT TRUE, NOT TURE, NOT TRUE. I have an issue with the first part of that sentence: "After the partition of Cameroon in 1916" My making that statement, you are saying

German Kamerun = Cameroon.

That is totally untrue and it is that misunderstanding that our founding fathers bought into, (unification of Cameroon) that brought us into this situation. German Kamerun in 1916 included Gabon, Central African Repblique, Chad, and Republique of Congo.

So if you suggest German Kamerun = Cameroon, then where are the other parts of German Kamerun namely Chad, Gabon, Republic of Congo, and Central African Republique?

Secondly, La Republique Du Cameroun is not the successor of German Kamerun hence they have to claim to Southern Cameroons. German Kamerun ended with the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. It is that treaty that created international law and produce permanent international boundaries between Southern Cameroons and La Republique Du Cameroun. Those boundaries still exist even today.

There are many other issues I have with your last posting but I will leave it at that.

Now you said something about why Southern Cameroons did not take advantage of the Bakassi situation to make its case before the ICJ. As Ma Mary said, the ICJ only allows member states to bring a case before it. Southern Cameroons is not a member state so she cannot bring a case before the court. But she can request another member, state such as Nigeria, to bring a case before the court in the name of Southern Cameroon. That is why the people of Southern Cameroons petitioned the Federal Government of Nigeria to do. It has been done before.

On 22 February 1991 Portugal brought a case for the people of East Timor before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the Commonwealth of Australia.

East Timor could not bring the case before the ICJ because it was not a member state of the ICJ so it depended on Portugal to bring the case against Austalia. You can read more about the case here

http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol4/No2/art5.html

Radicalbrother,
Like Ma Mary said, there are no Southern Cameroonians who are more that others. You can make a difference. There is no such think as "you guys." Your contribution can be as valuable as that of any other Southern Cameroonian.

[Essono]

SDF POWER TO THE PEOPLE,
SDF POWER TO THE PEOPLE,
SDF POWER TO THE PEOPLE,

SDF POUVOIR AU PEUPLE,
SDF POUVOIR AU PEUPLE,
SDF POUVOIR AU PEUPLE,

CAMEROON SHALL REMAIN ONE AND INDIVISIBLE,
CAMEROON SHALL REMAIN ONE AND INDIVISIBLE,
CAMEROON SHALL REMAIN ONE AND INDIVIBLE,

ALL UNION NATIONALISTS BE PREPARED TO FIGHT SECESSIONISTS.

ALL UNION NATIONALISTS BE PREPARED TO FIGHT SECESSIONISTS.

ALL UNION NATIONALISTS BE PREPARED TO THE DEFEND THE FATHERLAND.

[Radicalbrother]

Essono,
Take a look at the comment M NJE made as a reaction to a previous comment that i made and see whether you can learn something. See how mature and educative he is advancing his points. May be you are just joining this forum and yet to be versed with the norms. M Nje can you help me give some tutorials to Essono on how to paricipate in this forum?
A candle looses nothing by lighting the other one
The Fru Ndi that i know should be the last person to identify himself with you.
Power to the people does not mean physical power my brother. You are the ones defaming the party and he must be locked up come Aug 19th .

[Essono]

Radicalbrother,
Pls stop being ridiculous.U're lucky u're writing all these hips of rubbish from the comfort of anonymity.U should be dragged to court for defaming our leader and comrade Ni John Fru Ndi