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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000987 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018 
TAGS: AORC CM MARR MAS NI PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AND HIGH COMMISSIONER IN 
CAMEROON TALK BAKASSI, BILATERAL RELATIONS 
 
YAOUNDE 00000987  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e) 
 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe, 
speaking at the launch of the Nigeria-Cameroon Joint 
Commission in Yaounde, praised the peaceful resolution of the 
Bakassi dispute and heralded "a new day" in Cameroon-Nigeria 
relations.  He outlined the "urgent" need for joint military 
patrols to counter criminals trying to drive a wedge between 
the two countries.  Nigeria's High Commissioner to Cameroon 
is also optimistic about bilateral relations and told Charge 
that he had already discussed joint security patrols with 
senior Government of Cameroon (GRC) officials.  The High 
Commissioner highlighted the priority need for road building 
and development in Bakassi.  The concomitant meetings in 
Yaounde this week of the UN-sponsored Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed 
Commission and the Joint Commission promise to put new energy 
into improving relations between Cameroon and Nigeria.  End 
summary. 
 
Nigerian Foreign Minister: "It's a New Day in Relations" 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  In a speech at the launch of the Fourth Meeting of 
the Joint Commission on October 9 in Yaounde, Nigerian 
Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe proclaimed "it's a new day in 
Nigeria-Cameroon relations."  He praised the resolution of 
the Bakassi dispute as a model of conflict resolution for the 
world and asserted that African nations need to focus on 
fighting poverty rather than on the "distractions" of 
boundary disputes.  Nigeria and Cameroon needed to sustain 
the momentum and to deepen and broaden bilateral ties, while 
not taking the relationship for granted, he said.  Maduekwe 
noted that UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon had praised the resolution of 
Bakassi during a recent meeting in New York. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Maduekwe highlighted Nigeria's strategic interest in 
its relationship with Cameroon.  He pointed to the four 
million Nigerians living in Cameroon, who he said the 
Nigerian government encouraged to contribute actively to 
Cameroonian society.  He noted the potential for expanded 
business ties and hoped Cameroonian and Nigerian elites would 
more frequently visit each other's countries.  He underscored 
the importance of connecting Cameroon and Nigeria by road 
across the Bakassi area and said Cameroon had made better 
progress than Nigeria on such road construction, with African 
Development Bank support. 
 
¶4.  (U)  The Foreign Minister stressed the "urgent" need for 
joint Nigerian-Cameroonian military patrols.  He saw the need 
for security forces of both countries to "buy into" the 
political decisions on Bakassi and to see themselves as 
"Ambassadors of good will."  They need to get beyond 
"demonizing" each other to now "go the extra mile" to work 
together "as brothers", he added.  Nigeria and Cameroon's 
only mutual enemy, he continued, was "non-state actors" who 
wish to exploit old grievances "to put a wedge between our 
countries".  Nigeria and Cameroon can counter this through 
security cooperation and by "making the Joint Commission 
fully operational" after a six year gap (the last Joint 
Commission meeting was in 2002).  He also hoped Cameroon 
would consider reviving consultative meetings with the 
African Union. 
 
High Commissioner Echoes Positive Views 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  In an October 6 meeting, Nigerian High 
Commissioner to Cameroon Philip Dauda told Charge that 
lingering opposition to the Bakassi handover from within 
Nigeria was a reflection of domestic democratic politics, led 
by politicians and party activists who stood to lose 
constituents in the region.  However, he thought that "by and 
large" opponents were putting the handover behind them. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The priority for Bakassi is now development, he 
said, citing the most urgent needs as infrastructure 
(especially roads) and security against piracy.  While such 
development was the responsibility of the Government of 
Cameroon, the Nigerian government needed to help by 
developing the areas bordering Bakassi.  Dauda confirmed that 
the African Development Bank is financing a two-year project 
to build a road along the western coast of the Peninsula 
connecting parts of Bakassi with Calabar in Nigeria.  Many 
Nigerians who left Bakassi before the handover are in a "wait 
 
YAOUNDE 00000987  002 OF 002 
 
 
and see" mode and are reportedly being well cared for by the 
Nigerian government, although Dauda thought they would likely 
return eventually to resume their lives in Bakassi. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Dauda noted that the UN-sponsored Cameroon-Nigeria 
Mixed Commission and the Nigeria-Cameroon Joint Commission 
were meeting in Yaounde this week (we will report septel on 
outcomes of these meetings after they finish on October 11). 
He confirmed that joint security patrols were a priority for 
discussion by the Joint Commission; the High Commissioner had 
already discussed the issue with Cameroonian Prime Minister 
Ephraim Inoni and Minister of Justice and Vice Prime Minister 
Amadou Ali.  Despite the disparities in military capability, 
the High Commissioner was confident Cameroon would be able to 
contribute to a joint patrol and hoped the United States 
could help this effort.  Dauda pointed to the initial 
exchange of two Nigerian army colonels at Cameroon's Military 
Staff College for the year and he saw scope for a similar 
exchange of Cameroonian military to Nigeria. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Dauda highlighted that Nigeria had worked hard to 
ensure the success of the August 14 Bakassi handover in 
Calabar.  The Government of Nigeria had offered to do it in 
Calabar "to avoid any untoward event".  The Nigerian Navy 
Chief of Staff was in Calabar for the handover but remained 
in his hotel when the Nigerians learned that Cameroon was not 
sending an official of a similar rank.  Nigeria would also 
have sent its Minister of Justice if Cameroon had sent its 
counterpart, Dauda noted. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  There is a great deal of optimism in the air in 
Yaounde about strengthening Nigerian-Cameroonian relations 
and taking concrete steps toward greater cooperation on 
Bakassi.  Dauda promises to be a helpful partner on these 
fronts.  Both countries appreciate the role the U.S. has 
played and can continue to play.  Foreign Minister Maduekwe 
told Pol/Econ Chief he was very pleased with his recent 
meeting with A/S Jendayi Frazer, in which he said Bakassi was 
discussed.  In his speech at the opening of the Joint 
Commission, Cameroonian Foreign Minister Delegate for 
Commonwealth Affairs Joseph Dion Ngute thanked the UNSC and 
the four witness states for their role in reaching a 
"milestone which rewrote history".  He also praised the dawn 
of a new era of Cameroon-Nigerian relations.  Defense Attache 
briefed the High Commissioner on US-Cameroon 
military-military exchanges, especially the African 
Partnership Station and our maritime security engagement. 
 
¶10.  (C) The optimism notwithstanding, there is much to be 
done before Cameroon and Nigeria can begin substantive 
cooperation.  Direct mil-mil relations are almost 
non-existent, and capabilities are limited.  In Calabar on 
the fringes of the handover ceremony in August, Nigerian Rear 
Admiral Ba Raji, Commandant of the Eastern Naval Command, 
told our Charge and DATT that his navy did not see itself as 
a peer of the Cameroonians - "after all, they can barely put 
a boat to sea while we sail to South America."  He 
appreciated the need for improved cooperation, though, and 
saw the U.S. as a necessary catalyst in improving military 
relations between the two countries, and saw activities of 
the African Partnership Station as a useful vehicle - among 
others - for improving maritime security cooperation.  This 
week's meetings in Yaounde could help open new opportunities 
for the United States to be supportive at this historic 
moment for Cameroon and Nigeria. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FOX