COlJR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE RECUEIL DES ARRÊTS, AVIS CC)NSULTATIFS ET ORDONNANCES AFFAIRE DE LA FRONTIÈRE TERRESTRE ET MARITIME ENTRE LE CAMEROUN ET LE NIGÉRIA (CAMEROUN c. NIGÉRIA; GUINÉE ÉQUATORIALE (intervenant)) A.RRÊTDU 10 OCTOBRE 2002 INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE REPORTS OF JUDGMENTS, ADVlSORY OPINIONS AND OKDERS CASE CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME BOUNDARY BETWEEFJ CAMEROON AND NIGERIA (CAMEROON v. NIGERIA: EQUATORIAL GUINEA intervening) JUIIGMENT OF 10 OCTOBER 2002 Mode officiel de citation: Frontiére terrestre et maritime entre le Cameroun et le Nigéria (Cameroun c. Nigéria; Guinée équatoriale (intervenant)), arrêt, C.1. J. Recueil 2002, p. 303 Officia1 citation : Land and Maritime Boundury hetween Cameroon and Nigeria (Cameroon v. Nigeria: Equatorial Guineu intervening), Judgment, 1. C. J. Reports 2002, p. 303 NO àe vente: 852 1 ISSN 0074-4441 Sales number ISBN 92-1-070957-8 10 OCTOBRE 2002 ARRÊT FRONTIÈRE TERRESTRE ET MARITIME ENTRE LE CAMEROUN ET LE NIGÉRIA (CAMEROUN c. NIGÉRIA; GUINÉE ÉQUATORIALE (intervenant)) LAND AND MARITIME BOUNDARY BETWEEN CAMEROON AND NIGERIA (CAMEROON v. NIGERIA: EQUATORIAL GUINEA intervening) 10 OCTOBER 2002 JUDGMENT INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE YEAR 2002 2002 10 October General List 10 October 2002 No. 94 CASE CONCERNING THE LAND AND MARITIME BOUNDARY BETWEEIV CAMEROON AND NIGERIA (CAMEROON V. 'NIGERIA: EQUATORIAL GUINEA intervening) Geographical contc7xt - Historical background - Territories' changing status - Principal rejevant instruments for determination of the land and mari- time boundary. Lake Cliad area. Bounda- delimitation - Relevant instruments (Milner-Sinion Decluration, 1919; Thotnson-Marchand Declaration, 1929-1930; Henderson-Fleuriau Escliange of Notes, 1931) - Bozindary cielimited and approved by Great Britain and Frunce -- Confirmation provided by d~nzarcationivork of Lake Chad Basin Commission, 1983 to 1Y91 - Co-ordinates qf Carnerion-Nigeria- Chad tripoint and Ebeji mouth. Nigerian claims ha.sed on its presence in certain Lake Cliad areas - Nigerian argutneiit hased on liistorical consolidation of' title - Controversial theory ~vl~ichrannot replace modes qf ucquisitiori ($ title recognized hjf international lait. - Nigerian argument that peuceJUl possession, coupled ivith arts of adniin- istration, represents nran~fefrstationof sovereignty - Canzeroon the kolder qf a pre-existing title over the lake areas in question - Test ivhetlier or not Cam- eroon rnmz~fe.stljiuc~luiesced il7 tran.fer ($its title to Nigeria - No acquies- cenre hy Carneroon to rc~linquishnient of its title oiver tlze areu in favour of Nigeria - Sovereigntjl over settletnents situateci to the ecist of' the boundary continue.^ to lie itith cCanieroon. Land boundary from Lake Chad to the Bakassi Prninsula. third States and reqziirement of prior negotiation not satisJled - Nigeria's eighth preliminary objection - Protection afforded bj Article 59 of the Statute may not al~,aysbe suf$cient, in particular in respect of maritime delimitations involving several States - Court unable to rule on Cumeroon's clairns in so fur as they may flffect rights of Equatorial Guinea and Sno Tome and Principe - Mere presence of those tivo States in Gulfof Guinea does not in itselfpreclude the Court's jurisdiction over maritime delimitation between the Parties - Court'sjinding in its Jrudgment of Il June 1998 that ntlgotiations between Cum- eroon and Nigeria concerning the entire maritime dc,limitation had been con- ducted in the 1970s - Articles 74 and 83 of 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea do not require that judicial proceedings be suspended while new nego tiations ur~conducted if a party alters its claim in the course of proceedings - Those Articles do not preclude the Court from drawing the mcîritimeboundary between Canzeroon and Nigeria without prior simultaneous nogotiations between those t~oStates and Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe. Maritime boundarj up to point G - Boundary located to West of Bakussi Peninsula and not to east - Relevant instruments (Anglo-German Agreement of II March 1913, Yaoundé II Declarution, 1971; Maroua Declaration, 1975) - Nigeria's argument that Maroua Declaration not valid in international luw becuuse not rut~jit>d- Maroua Declaration entered into,force immediately on signature - Nigeria's argument that its constitutional rules on treaty rati- jïcution had not been complied with - Heads of State regarded as empolvered to represent their States ,for purpose qf performing al1 acts relating to conclu- sion of u treaty - Letter of 23 August 1974from Head of State of Nigeria to Head of State of Cuineroon cunnot be regarded as .pxiJic wurning to Cam- eroon tlzat hrigerian Government lvould not be bound bjl any commitment entered into by its Head of State - Yaoundé II and Maroua Beclarations must be con- sidered as binding and imposing a legal obligation on Nigeria - Maritime delimitation must be considcred as having been estal~lishedon a conventional basis up to and incIut2'NZg point G by Anglo-Germun Agreement of 11 March 1913 and Yaoundé II and Maroua Declurutions. Maritime boundary beyond point G - Parugraph 1 of Articles 74 and 83 of 1982 Law of the Sea (3onvention concerning delimitation of the continental shelf und enclusii~eeconomic zone - Parties' agreement rhat delimitation between their muritirne areas to be effected by a single line - So-called equitable prin- cipleslrelevant circumstances method, ini~olvingjïrst dralving an equidistance line then considering i-vhether there are factors calling,for adjustment or shifting of that line in order zo achieve an "equitable result" - Definition of Parties' relevant coastlines - Equidistance line cannot be extc~ndedbeyond point where it might affect rights qf Equatorial Guinea - Absente of circurnstances which nzi'qht require adjustment ofequidi.stance line: conjiguration and length of rele- vant coastliries; preseizce of Bioko Island - Parties' oilpractice not a factor tu be taken into account ,for purposes for maritime deiimitation in this case - Equidistance line represents an equitable result for dzlimitation of the area in ~vhichthe Court has jurisdiction to rule. Course of boundur;i~of nzaritirne areas. Cameroon's submissions on Nigeria's State responsihility and Nigeria's counter-claims regarding Can?eroon'.s State responsihility. Nigeria under an obligation expeditiously and without condition to ~vithdruw its administration und nzilitary and police forces from areas of' Lukr Chad fall- ing under Ciimerooniun sovereignty and,from tlze Bokassi Peninsula - Canl- eroon under un obligation expeditiously und ioithout i,ondition to ,cithdruiv ar~y adniinistration or militery or police,forces which tnuy be present in areas along the land boundary Jrom Lake Cl~adto the Bakassi Peninsula wxhich pursuant to the Judgment fa11 within the sovereignty of Nigeria - Nigeria under the same obligations as regards any administration or military or police,fi)rce.s which rnay be present in arras dong the land boundurj~from Lake Chad to the Bakassi Peninsula which pursivant to the Judgment fa11 ivithirt the sovereignty of' Cam- eroon - Co-operation beticeen the Parties in impleinenting the Judgment - C~~rneroon'sundertuking ut the hearings in regard t8i protection of Nigerians living in the Brikassi Peninsulu or the Lake Chud arou - Court takes note of that undertciking - (7arneroon's submissions seeking guarantees ofnon-repeti- tion cannot hr upheld - injury .sujj(>red hy Canleroorr bjj reason of the occupa- tion of its territory sufficiently adhessed hy the very fact of tlze Judgnient and uf' the evacuation of' clamerooniun territory occilpied by Nigeria - Canzeroon hus not shown that Nigeria acted in breach of the provisional measures inciicated in the Order of' Il Afarch 1996 - Boundary incidents - Neither Party hrrs .suj,,ciently proved th(! jacts which it alleges or their imputability to the other Party - Rcjection of' Cameroon's suhmis.sions on Nigeria's State responsihility unri of' Nigeria's counter-claitns. JUDGMENT Present: Presidrnt (~UILLAUME;Vice-President SHI; Judges ODA. RANJEVA, HERCZEGH,FLEISCHHAUER, KOROMA, HIG(;INS. PARRA-ARANGUREN, KOOIJMANS,REZEK. AL-KHASAWNEH, BUERGENTHAL, ELARARY; Judges ad hoc MRI~YE,AJIBOLA; Registrur COUVREIJR. In the case concerning the land and maritime bouridary between Cameroon and Nigeria, the Republic of Camt:roon, represented by H.E. Mr. Amadou Ali. Minister of State responsible for Justice, Keeper of the Seals, as Agent; LAND AND MARITIME BOUNDARY (JUDGMENT) 307 Mr. Maurice Kamto, Dean, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Yaoundé II, rnember of the International Law Commission, avocat at the Paris Bar, société d'avocats Lysias, Mr. Peter Ntamark, Professor, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Uni- versity of Yaoundé II, Barrister-at-Law, membei- of the Inner Temple, as Co-Agents, Counsel and Advocates; Mr. Alain Pellet, Professor, University of Paris X-Nanterre, member and former Chairmari of the International Law Commission, as Deputy Agent, Counsel and Advocate; Mr. Joseph-Marie Bipoun Woum, Professor, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Yaoundé II, former Dean, former Minister, as Special Adviser and Advocate; Mr. Michel Aurillac, former Minister, Honorary conseiller d'Etat, retired avocat, Mr. Jean-Pierre Cot, Emeritus Professor. University of Paris 1 (Panthéon- Sorbonne), former Minister, Mr. Maurice Mentielson, Q.C., Emeritus Professor of International Law, University of Lo:ndon, Barrister-at-Law, Mr. Malcolm N. Shaw, Sir Robert