Government ambiguous on Bakassi ruling

Nigeria was ambiguous in its reaction to the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on its border dispute with Cameroon on Thursday, saying it would study the judgment but declaring it would not affect its citizens and oil resources. The verdict of the ICJ was that the disputed oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula belonged to Cameroon and Nigeria was expected to withdraw its troops and administration immediately from the area which is inhabited mainly by Nigerians. Some aspects of the ruling covering the over 1,500 km long border between both countries went in favour of Nigeria. Nigeria, said a Justice Ministry statement late on Thursday, expected the ruling "to resolve many outstanding matters between the two states and provide a way forward", adding it was not appropriate to discuss the judgment in terms of winners and losers. However it added: "There will not be any requirement for Nigeria nationals to move from where they are living at present. The judgment will have no effect on Nigeria’s oil and natural gas reserves." Any adjustments to both countries’ borders in line with the ICJ judgment would make inhabitants of the peninsula Cameroonians and result in the loss of some key oilfields by Nigeria. International oil companies whose concessions are likely to be affected by such an adjustment include US-based ExxonMobil and Baker Hughes Corporation, Swiss-based Addax Oil, and French company TotalFinaElf - which has oil interests on both sides. Nigerian military officials are also concerned that the country’s eastern naval command, based in the southeastern city of Calabar, will lose its access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Rio Del Rey estuary. The Nigerian government statement indicated a readiness to undertake consultations on the ICJ ruling. "It is apparent that there have been both gains and losses for each side. That is natural in a case as large and complex as this," it said.