Accra – Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire have reached an agreement to conduct regular joint inspections along their shared international maritime boundary, in compliance with the ruling of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
This initiative seeks to regulate offshore oil exploration, preventing unauthorised activities in the high seas of both nations, while mitigating potential future territorial disputes.
The collaboration also aims to protect marine resources and safeguard the economic interests of both countries.
The ITLOS Ruling
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered a landmark ruling on 23rd September 2017, settling the maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
The Special Chamber of ITLOS in Hamburg, Germany, adjudicated the case, which concerned competing claims over offshore areas rich in oil and gas within the Gulf of Guinea.
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Ghana had been actively exploring and developing oil fields in the contested region, including the Jubilee Field. Côte d'Ivoire asserted that Ghana had violated its maritime rights.
However, ITLOS dismissed this claim and ruled that the maritime boundary should follow the equidistance method, aligning with Ghana's position. Both nations accepted the ruling peacefully, preserving their strong bilateral relations.
Joint maritime inspections
The Ghana Boundary Commission and the Côte d'Ivoire Boundary Commission (CNFCI), with support from the German Development Agency (GIZ), the African Union Border Programme (AUBP), and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), convened a meeting in Accra.
This gathering, attended by 36 selected participants from both countries, established a framework for implementing the ITLOS ruling on their international boundary dispute.
Key discussions focused on establishing a joint border patrol to ensure the integrity of the maritime boundary and formulating strategies to complete the boundary reaffirmation exercise by 2025. The Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) and CNFCI will facilitate the joint maritime inspection exercise.
At the conclusion of the discussions in Accra, Major General Emmanuel Kotia, the Director-General of GhBC, confirmed that regular joint inspections would be conducted along the international maritime boundary.
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Previously, Ghana carried out inspections independently, but Côte d'Ivoire has now agreed to collaborate. Both nations' navies will work together, with facilitation from their respective boundary commissions.
Major General Kotia further stated that both parties had committed to continuing the reaffirmation exercise along their land boundary.
“Once we have validated this framework agreement, which will be signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, we can collaborate strategically and operationally regarding both land and maritime borders,” he explained.
Konate Diakalidia, the Executive Secretary of CNFCI, reaffirmed Côte d'Ivoire's commitment to working with Ghana to safeguard their respective territories.
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“This meeting has successfully expedited the reaffirmation exercise and enabled us to devise strategies for the full implementation of the ITLOS ruling, ensuring that neither country trespasses,” he stated.
Both parties agreed that the heads of their respective boundary commissions would lead delegations to submit official maps, reflecting the ITLOS ruling on the international maritime boundary line, to the United Nations (UN) Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) on 27th April 2025.
