Demarcation of Nigeria-Cameroun Border to Be Concluded by December

 Muhammadu Buhari and President Paul Biya of Cameroun 

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja   

President Muhammadu Buhari and President Paul Biya of Cameroun have agreed to work towards the completion of the demarcation of the land border between Nigeria and Cameroun before the end of the year.

A communiqué issued thursday at the conclusion of Buhari’s official visit to Yaounde, said both leaders welcomed the progress made thus far in the exercise which was undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted the communiqué thus: “The two Heads of State took note of the satisfaction expressed by the United Nations Secretary-General in his most recent report on the work of the United Nations Office for West Africa from January to June 2015, regarding progress in the demarcation of the land boundary between Cameroun and Nigeria.

“They agreed to endorse the recommendation of the United Nations Secretary-General on the completion before the end of 2015 of the land border demarcation work, in order to concentrate on enhancing cross-border cooperation.”

According to the communiqué, Buhari and his host also endorsed the commitments made at the Extraordinary Summit of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic held on June 11, 2015 in Abuja.

Buhari and Biya agreed to strengthen security collaboration along their common border under the auspices of the Nigeria-Cameroun Trans-Border Security Committee and within the framework of the implementation of the concept of strategic operations approved at the Abuja summit.

They reaffirmed their determination to strengthen cooperation with other neighbouring countries for the rapid elimination of terrorism and other security threats.

The two presidents thanked the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States and other bilateral and multilateral partners for their active solidarity in the war against the Islamist insurgents, Boko Haram.

They also reaffirmed their support for the implementation of the Lake Chad Basin Commission’s Five-Year Investment Programme (2013-2017), which seeks to save Lake Chad, restore its ecosystem and promote the socio-economic development of the people living within the basin.

The two heads of state welcomed the first meeting yesterday in Yaounde of governors of contiguous states and regions on the Nigeria-Cameroun border and called for regular meetings of the governors to strengthen collaboration between the two countries.

The communiqué was read by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mr. Aliyu Ismaila, and the Camerounian Minister of External Relations, Pierre Mbonjo, in the presence of the two presidents.

Buhari returned to Abuja thursday.