ABIDJAN, 25 January 2000 (IRIN) - The Cameroon government has denied
reports by Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, Major General Victor Malu, that
its troops regularly fire at Nigerian positions on the Bakassi peninsula
and violate its airspace.
"I wasn't aware of these reports until now but I can tell you we have not
fired on our brothers and have not overflown Nigerian territory," a
Cameroonian government minister told IRIN on Tuesday.
Malu made the accusations to reporters in Lagos. He said that incidents of
provocative firing and overflying take place "almost every 15 days,"
according to AFP.
"We have no interest in fighting, we want justice not war," the minister
said, referring to the dispute between the two countries over ownership of
the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula which is now under arbitration at the
International Court of Justice in the Hague.
Both countries have troops in the disputed territory.[ENDS]
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