The federal government has commenced discussions with Cameroon on the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees in the country.
Osaigbovo Ehisienmen, chief press secretary of Abdulrahman Dambazau, minister of interior, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
“The minister of interior, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Abdurahman Bello Dambazau, led a high-powered government delegation to tripartite discussions with the government of Cameroon and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the voluntary repatriation of the over 60,000 Nigerian refugees in the Miniawoa Camp, Cameroon,” he said.
“According to the interior minister, the meeting which immediately followed the regional protection dialogue involving the Lake Chad Basin Commission countries (LCBC) and the UNHCR, is also in pursuance of Article 13(2) of the 1984 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 12 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which recognized the rights of citizens to leave and return to their own country.
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“Furthermore, the communiqué signed by Nigeria and Cameroon when President Paul Biya of Cameroon paid a state visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, agreed that both countries hold a tripartite arrangement by July 2016.”
The statement added that Rene Emmanuel Sadi , the Cameroonian minister of territorial administration and decentralization, welcomed the initiative and pledged his government’s commitment to its success.
“The meeting, which climaxed in the initialing of the agreement by Nigeria minister of interior and his Cameroonian counterpart, is now waiting for final signature after adoption by both governments.
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“When adopted, resolutions from the dialogue will among other benefits, see that the rights of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon are protected and will ensure their safe return to the land of their nativity, to live in peace.”
