UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has commended Cameroon and Nigeria for their exemplary commitment to settling border disputes peacefully, a UN spokesman said Thursday.
The statement came as the two countries marked the 10th anniversary of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the issue, which had triggered intense and sometimes violent confrontations for decades until the two African neighbors agreed to a UN-backed process.
Ban "commended the commitment of the governments of both countries to honor the obligations of the ruling" and "also congratulated the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission for the commendable efforts it has made in implementing that ruling," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said at a daily news briefing.
"By peacefully resolving their border dispute, Cameroon and Nigeria have provided a positive example for countries around the world facing similar challenges," he added.
The ICJ verdict was followed by the 2006 Greentree Agreement, signed under the auspices of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Under the deal, Nigeria recognized Cameroon's sovereignty over the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula, one part of the border.
Ban also encouraged Cameroon and Nigeria to reach an agreement on the remaining 200 kilometers of land boundary to bring the demarcation process to an end.
He reiterated the UN's commitment to continuing supporting both countries in implementing the ICJ ruling through the Mixed Commission and the Follow-up Committee on the Greentree Agreement, both of which are chaired by the UN.
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