Par Jacob TAMBE  --   Paru le 07/03/2001 12:00:00
Cameroon's state radio Wednesday announced that a land dispute had erupted between its forces and those of the Central African Republic (CAR) around its eastern borders.
The dispute, the radio said, was over a 100 metre long piece of land in Cameroon's territory, in which taxes are collected by the Cameroonian authorities and installations of the Cameroon Electricity Corporation (SONEL) were found but over which the CAR authorities were claiming ownership. CAR troops are reported to have encroached into the area, situated around Garoua-Boulai, twice in the last week and hoisted their flag there necessitating a clash with their Cameroonian counterparts, but no casualties have so far been recorded.
Tanyitiku Bayee Arikai Martin, governor of Cameroon's east province is reported to have said 'no milimetre of Cameroon's land' could be left to be occupied while visiting the area with his close collaborators.
CAR officials are said to have closed their borders to Cameroonians several times since last December, a move which the local authorities have qualified as 'unfriendly and highly provocative'. Cameroon and CAR share a 500 km long eastern border.
Neither Yaounde nor Bangui authorities have offered an official statement about the incident. The state radio said local Cameroonian administrative authorities had reinforced control measures in the area. The dispute is said to be the first of that magnitude so far between the two Central-African neighbours.
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