By Meryl White
Impunity Watch Reporter, Western and Central Africa

BAKASSI, Cameroon – Near the Nigerian border, more than 20 Cameroonian soldiers were killed when attackers wearing Nigerian military uniforms ambushed a boat. The Nigerian military has denied the attacks. Instead, Nigeria claims that militants from the oil rich Niger Delta were responsible. Presently, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Bakasi has been the site of bloody clashes between Nigeria and Cameroon since the 1990s. This area extends into the Gulf of Guinea contains up to 10% of the world’s oil and gas reserves. Moreover, the area is rich in fish.

More than one year ago, Nigeria gave the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon to comply with a decision set forth by the International Court of Justice.

The Nigerian government speculates that the attack could have been conducted by the same militant group that had earlier attacked a nearby oil terminal run by Exxon Mobil. The Exxon Mobile attack follows the five-month ceasefire against workers of the oil industry. The ceasefire was an attempt for armed groups in the area to abandon their weapons and seek discussion with the Nigerian government.

The Nigerian Defense Spokesman stated “We are willing to cooperate with Cameroon to investigate this incident. All our resources are at their disposal to ensure that the criminals are brought to justice.”

For more information, please see:

BBC – Soldiers Killed in Cameroon Raid  – 13 November 2007

AllAfrica.com – Cameroon: Bakassi – More Than One Place, More Than One Problem – 13 November 2007

Reuters – Up to 21 Cameroon troops killed in Bakassi– 13 November 2007