Done in Cairo, the 19th of January, 1899.

Signed:  BOURTROS GHALI-Cromer.

DECLARATION RELATIVE TO THE BRITISH AND FRENCH SPHERES OF INFLUENCE IN CENTRAL AFRICA

(Signed at London, March 21st, 1899)

The Undersigned, duly authorised by their Governments, have signed the following declaration:-

The IVth Article of the Convention of the 14th of June, 1898, shall be completed by the following provisions, which shall be considered as forming an integral part of it:  1.  Her Britannic Majesty’s Government engages not to acquire either territory or political influence to the west of the line of frontier defined in the following paragraph, and the Government of the French Republic engages not to acquire either territory or political influence to the east of the same line. 2.  The line of frontier shall start from the point where the boundary between the Congo Free State and French territory meets the water-parting between the watershed of the Nile and that of the Congo and its affluents.  It shall follow in principle that water-parting up to its intersection with the 11th parallel of north latitude.  From this point it shall be drawn as far as the 15th parallel in such manner as to separate, in principle, the Kingdom of Wadai from what constituted in 1882 the Province of Darfur; but it shall in no case be so drawn as to pass to the west beyond the 21st degree of longitude east of Greenwich (18 degrees 40’ east of Paris), or to the east beyond the 23rd degree of longitude east of Greenwich (20 degrees 40’ east of Paris). 3.  It is understood, in principle, that to the north of the 15th parallel the French zone shall be limited to the north-east and east by a line which shall start from the point of intersection of the Tropic of Cancer with the 16th degree of longitude east of Greenwich (18 degrees 40’ east of Paris), shall run thence to the south-east until it meets the 24th degree of longitude east of Greenwich (21 degrees 40’ east of Paris), and shall then follow the 24th degree until it meets, to the north of the 15th parallel of latitude, the frontier of Darfur as it shall eventually be fixed. 4.  The two Governments engage to appoint Commissioners who shall be charged to delimit on the spot a frontier-line in accordance with the indications given in paragraph 2 of this Declaration.  The result of their work shall be submitted for the approbation of their respective Governments.  It is agreed that the provisions of Article ix of the Convention of the 14th of June, 1898, shall apply equally to the territories situated to the south of the 14 degrees 20’ parallel of north latitude, and to the north of the 5th parallel of north latitude, between the 14 degrees 20’ meridian of longitude east of Greenwich (12th degree east of Paris) and the course of the Upper Nile.

Done at London, the 21st of March, 1899.

(L.S.)    Salisbury. 
(L.S.)    Paul Cambon.

*** End of the project gutenberg EBOOK, the river war ***