Cameroon Requests Support for ICJ Candidate

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000885

SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PREL CM
SUBJECT: Cameroon Requests Support for ICJ Candidate


1. (U) Summary: The Government of Cameroon has requested USG
support for its candidate to the International Court of Justice,
Professor Maurice Kamto. Kamto is an outstanding legal figure in
Cameroon, whose experience in settling the Bakassi dispute and in
unifying Anglophone and Francophone criminal and civil procedure
codes make him a very strong candidate. End summary.

An Oustanding Jurist
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2. (U) A renowned jurist, Professor Maurice Kamto is currently
Minister Delegate in
Cameroon's Ministry of Justice. Prior to becoming a minister in
2004, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Legal and Political
Sciences at Yaounde II University, one of Cameroon's state
universities. In addition to his normal duties as Minister, he
teaches in several Cameroonian state universities and higher
institutions of learning, including the International Relations
Institute (IRIC) and the National School of Administration and
Magistracy (ENAM). Professor Kamto is also Associate Professor in
several universities in Europe and Africa, as well as The Hague
Academy of International Law, and is frequently called upon to act
as a consultant for an array of local and international
organizations. Professor Kamto is also a member of the United
Nations International Law Commission. He has written over 50
articles and several books on international law, including:

Droit de l'Environnement en Afrique (The Law of Environment in
Africa)

L'OUA, Retrospective et Perspectives Africaines " (A Look Back at
the OAU,
And African Prospects)

Decheance Politique (Political Decline)

Pouvoir et Droit en Afrique Noire: Essai sur Les Fondements du
Constitutionnalisme dans les Etats d'Afrique Noire Francophone
(Power and The Law in Black Africa: An Essay on the Foundations of
Constitutionalism In French-Speaking Black African States)

L'Urgence de la Pensee : Reflexions sur une Precondition du
Developpement en Afrique (Urgency in Thinking : Reflections on a
Prerequisite to Development in Africa)

Key Player in Bakassi
--------------


3. (U) Professor Kamto played a key role in settling the Bakassi
dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria. In 1994, he was named
co-agent and legal counsel for Cameroon on this case, and his
knowledge of international law and contributions proved instrumental
in gaining the ICJ's favorable ruling for Cameroon. When Cameroon
and Nigeria signed the Greentree Agreement on the implementation of
the ICJ ruling of October 10, 2002, Kamto was named Delegation
Leader for Cameroon to the Follow-up Committee of the Agreement. On
August 14, 2008, on behalf of the GRC, he signed the final transfer
documents of Bakassi to Cameroon.

Further Bio Information
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4. (U) Maurice Kamto was born in 1954 and is a native of the West
Province of Cameroon. He studied at the following universities and
institutions: University of Yaounde; Institut des Hautes Etudes
Internationales, Nice, France; Institut d'Administration Publique de
Paris; Universite de Nice, France. He holds the following
qualifications: PhD in International Law (1983) (First Class, with
Distinction); Diploma of the Public Administration Institute (1982);
Diploma in Extensive Studies in International Law (1980); Diploma in
Extensive Studies in Fundamental Public Law (1980); Certificate in
European Communities Studies (1980); Diploma in International Higher
Studies (1980); Bachelors Degree in Public Law (1979); "Agrege des
Facultes francaises de Droit" (Grade of Full Professor of Law). In
1997, Professor Kamto was called to the Paris Bar. Kamto is fluent
in French and speaks excellent English. He enjoys the reputation of
a brilliant intellectual with strong ideas on democracy and human
rights. Kamto has always had a friendly relationship with the
private press. He is a member of the editorial board of
"Mutations", a reputable Yaounde-based private daily newspaper. He
is married to a career diplomat who is the Director of European
Affairs in the Ministry of External Relations. He has five
children.

Comment
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6. (U) Post believes Professor Kamto is a very strong candidate

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for election to the ICJ. As one of the most qualified international
lawyers in Sub-Saharan Africa, he is well known to post and his
professionalism, dedication, and experience are impressive.
Professor Kamto was singled out as an outstanding lawyer in the
Bakassi border dispute, and his election will provide him with the
opportunity to contribute to the ICJ's work at the international
level. Kamto has also been actively involved in creating new
Criminal and Civil Procedure codes which unify the application of
the country's Anglophone and Francophone legal systems. His
familiarity with both systems would be an asset in the ICJ. In
addition, Cameroon has been increasingly helpful on international
issues of importance to the USG and support for Kamto would help
encourage further cooperation. End comment.

GARVEY