A delegation of traditional chiefs from Bakassi, in the Southwest region, met with Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute on Tuesday, according to state radio, to request an increased security presence in the peninsula.

While expressing gratitude for the efforts of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), an elite unit of the Cameroonian army, the chiefs urged the government to strengthen the presence of defense and security forces in the Bakassi Peninsula.

Their requests also included the construction of a naval base and modern communication infrastructure, the establishment of a new chiefdom to reduce inter-community conflicts, the creation of a cross-border market to boost economic activity, and the development of an oil depot, among other demands.

Bakassi faces significant security challenges, including maritime piracy and ransom kidnappings. On Oct. 1, 2024, Roland Ewane, the sub-prefect of Idabato district in Bakassi, was abducted along with a municipal employee by unidentified armed men.

The peninsula, long disputed between Cameroon and Nigeria, was officially handed over to Cameroon in 2008 following a 2002 ruling by the International Court of Justice in favor of Cameroon. Despite improved diplomatic ties between the two nations, the region remains plagued by armed groups.

Source: Sbbc