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RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUFGAID/USEUCOM AIDES VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2892

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 001092 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PBTS PREF SMIG KDEM PINR CM NI
SUBJECT: GREENTREE AGREEMENT FOLLOW-UP MEETING: PROGRESS IN 
IMPLEMENTING AUGUST 14 BAKASSI PENINSULA TRANSFER 
 
REF: GENEVA 537 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  In a December 15 meeting in Geneva of the 
Follow-up Committee on Implementation of the Greentree 
Agreement, Cameroon and Nigeria agreed that things were going 
smoothly with the transfer of authority on the Bakassi 
Peninsula.  Cameroon noted its effort systematically to 
catalogue the citizenship of the peninsula's residents.  Both 
sides saw the need to strengthen security on the peninsula, 
not only bilaterally but perhaps through the Gulf of Guinea 
Commission; Follow-up Committee Chair Prendergast also 
floated other ideas for cooperation, including possibly 
through the U.S. military's African Command.  Though the 
session ended on a generally positive note, it left 
unresolved whether UN observer missions could be deployed 
anywhere in the Bakassi Peninsula, as Nigeria proposed, or 
only in the transfer zone, as Cameroon favored.  This caused 
the only bit of tension in the session's otherwise positive 
atmosphere, although the Nigerian delegation head's comments 
at various points elicited doubts about his level of 
preparedness for the meeting.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) The Follow-up Committee, which had last met in Geneva 
in July (reftel), began on a positive note, with its Chair, 
Kieran Prendergast, praising all involved, including the 
witness states.  (Representatives of the four witness states 
-- the U.S., UK, France and Germany -- attended.)  He 
reiterated the UN SyG's continued commitment to remain 
engaged until successful completion of the Greentree 
Agreement's implementation, adding at the session's 
conclusion that he hoped a future session of the Committee 
could take place in New York so that the SyG could personally 
express his appreciation to all involved.  The Cameroon 
delegation head, Minister Delegate in the Justice Ministry 
Maurice Kamto, praised all the parties, singling out 
Nigeria's cooperation.  Kamto said the GoC would meet all its 
obligations in the transitory period.  The Nigeria delegation 
head, Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa, also praised all 
the involved parties and said his government had heard no 
complaints from the Nigerian population on the peninsula. 
 
IDENTIFYING THE PENINSULA'S POPULATION 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The generally smooth implementation of the Agreement 
had resulted in an influx of Nigerians to the Bakassi 
Peninsula, Kamto noted.  Cameroon was committed to allowing 
ethnic Nigerians living there to choose Cameroonian or 
Nigerian citizenship, he continud.  His government was 
conducting a survey of thse residing on and returning to the 
peninsula, bth to determine which citizenship they had 
chosen and to facilitate resolution of controversies that 
might arise over land ownership, particularly involving those 
who had previously fled the area but were now returning. 
Aondoakaa briefly created some confusion when he said that 
the peninsula was now Cameroonian territory so that all those 
residing on it would become Cameroonian citizens; he then 
shifted his position, saying that ethnic Nigerians on the 
peninsula could retain their Nigerian citizenship but would 
have to respect Cameroonian laws. 
 
SECURITY ISSUES 
--------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Both sides agreed the post-August 14 transfer had 
raised new security challenges, requiring renewed efforts to 
 
GENEVA 00001092  002 OF 002 
 
 
step up security arrangements.  Aondoakaa focused on 
bilateral cooperation.  Kamto pointed to three levels of 
possible cooperation:  bilaterally between heads of state, 
where things were proceeding well; bilaterally between 
security forces, including on information exchanges, where 
more might be done; and multilaterally, perhaps through the 
Gulf of Guinea Commission.  Prendergast welcomed the 
commitment to expanded bilateral security cooperation, argued 
that using the Gulf of Guinea Commission might prove useful, 
and noted that other avenues for cooperation and assistance 
should be explored, including the U.S. military's African 
Command. 
 
OBSERVER MISSIONS 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Kamto argued that because work on the peninsula's 
future had entered into a new phase following the August 14 
transfer of authority, it was important to discuss the future 
role of UN observer missions.  He posited that such missions 
could only occur in the zone that had been transferred to 
Cameroonian authority, not to the peninsula as a whole. 
After initially agreeing with this, Aondoakaa reversed 
course, saying that the missions could be deployed throughout 
the peninsula.  Kamto countered that Nigeria could request 
access to the entire peninsula, but would need to do so by a 
request made through diplomatic channels; UN observer 
missions were not the vehicle for this.  With Prendergast and 
the Cameroonian delegation obviously perplexed, Aondoakaa 
backed off somewhat, saying that his view resulted from a 
loose interpretation of the Greentree Agreement, and said 
that the differences between the two sides on the issue were 
fairly minor, with little practical significance.  The 
session ended in some confusion, with Prendergast saying he 
would try to resolve the issue with the two delegations 
privately. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Because of the disagreement over the observer 
missions' area of responsibility, the session ended on a less 
positive note than had prevailed until then.  Nonetheless, 
the session appears to have advanced the process of 
implementing the Greentree Agreement.  Our impression, shared 
by the representatives of some of the other witness states, 
was that the Nigerian delegation -- and particularly their 
delegation head, Aondoakaa -- did not come as well prepared 
as the Cameroonian delegation, which resulted in some hitches. 
TICHENOR