The Aouzou Strip is located between the Republic of Chad and the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Libya). Its ownership was first contested by the two countries in 1973. However, the countries soon broke off diplomatic relations, preventing negotiations on the status of the Aouzou Strip.
When the countries resumed diplomatic relations in October 1988, both states proclaimed their willingness to resolve the dispute over the Aouzou Strip by peaceful means. On August 31, 1989, Chad and Libya signed a framework agreement on the Peaceful Settlement of the Territorial Dispute. However, they were unable to resolve the matter after several rounds of inconclusive talks. In September 1990, the two governments referred the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). According to Libya, its claims to the area were based on rights and titles by indigenous inhabitants, including the Senoussi Order (a religious grouping founded during the early part of the 19th century) and a succession of sovereign states, including the Ottoman Empire, Italy and Libya. In contrast, Chad claimed that the boundary between the two countries was established by the Treaty of Friendship and Good-Neighborliness concluded by the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Libya on August 10, 1955. On February 3, 1994, the ICJ held that the boundary between Chad and Libya had been defined by the Treaty of Friendship and Good-Neighborliness.
In March 1994, both governments pledged to abide by the ICJ judgment. After further talks, an agreement was signed on April 4th, establishing the practical modalities for the implementation of the ICJ judgment. The agreement provided for the withdrawal of the Libyan administration and forces from the Aouzou strip, the establishment of crossing points for persons and property, the removal of mines, the study of the question of monitoring and the demarcation of the boundary, maintenance of good-neighborliness, further cooperation and notification of the agreement to the United Nations. According to the agreement, the withdrawal operation of the Libyan administration and forces would occur from April 15th to May 30, 1994. It would be conducted under the supervision of a mixed team composed of 25 Libyan and 25 Chadian military officers. United Nations observers would be present during the withdrawal operations and would verify that the withdrawal was properly completed.
On May 5th, the Security Council established UNASOG-United Nations Aouzou Strip Observer Group- pursuant to resolution 915. Its deployment was authorized for a single period of up to 40 days from the date of the resolution. The authorized strength of UNASOG would be nine military observers and six international civilian staff. The military observers as well as most of the civilian staff would be drawn from the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The cost of the operation, approximately $400,000, would be met by assessed contributions from United Nations member states.
On May 30th, the governments of Chad and Libya signed a Joint Declaration stating that the withdrawal of the Libyan administration and forces from the Aouzou Strip had taken place to the satisfaction of both parties. The Chief Military Observer of UNASOG affixed his signature to the declaration as a witness. In a report on June 6th, Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali indicated that UNASOG had left the Aouzou Strip on June 5th, after having successfully completed its task. The accomplishment of its mandate "amply demonstrated the useful role, as envisaged by the Charter, which the United Nations can play in the peaceful settlement of disputes when the parties cooperate fully with the Organization."
