GREENTREE AGREEMENT FOLLOW-UP COMMITTEE MEETING IN

UNCLAS GENEVA 003142 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF, L/HRR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL CM NI SUBJECT: GREENTREE AGREEMENT FOLLOW-UP COMMITTEE MEETING IN GENEVA REF: DEC. 12-13 OSBOURNE-CHAMMAS-DEPIRRO E-MAIL CORRESPONDENCE Per ref e-mails, U.S. Mission Geneva Poloff attended the December 15 Greentree Agreement Follow-up Committee meeting between Cameroon and Nigeria. In a cordial atmosphere, Professor Maurice Kamto (Cameroon) and Chief Bayo Ojo (Nigeria) congratulated each other on their recent election to the International Law Commission. Delegates and witness states reviewed a draft report (e-mailed to Washington) of the Bakassi Observation Mission's December 9-14 visit to the region to monitor the implementation of the Agreement. The report concludes that both sides seem to be implementing terms of the Agreement. The report also includes allegations of harassment by Cameroonian security forces and requests by Bakassi residents for the restoration of basic services. Kamto reported in the meeting that funding had already been approved for 2007 to meet these basic infrastructure needs. He asked that Nigeria look into allegations of illegal logging, a violation of the Agreement. Ojo said Nigeria would do so, and asked Cameroon to follow up on the handful of human rights violations mentioned in the draft report. A member of the Observation Mission also mentioned that a new five-person observation office would soon open in Kabala. Kamto pledged Cameroon's financial support for the new office. Upon Kamto's insistence, it was decided that information on offshore oil facilities in the Bakassi region would be a topic for discussion at the next meeting scheduled for an as-to-be-determined date in February. TICHENOR