Cameroon Takes Official Control of Potentially Oil-Rich Territory

Cameroon on Aug. 14 assumed full jurisdiction of Bakassi Peninsula after a five-year transition period from Nigerian rule. Bakassi Peninsula consists mainly of smaller islands covered in mangroves, but its importance rests on the expectation that valuable petroleum reserves will be uncovered in the area. Local militias still oppose Cameroonian control, and although their activity has diminished in recent years, militants will continue to pose a threat in Bakassi.