Ghana on Saturday won a maritime dispute with its neighbor Ivory Coast as both countries lay claim to oil fields in the Gulf of Guinea within which they both share borders.
The dispute lasted years and when they could not settle the matter amicably, Ghana filed a case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
The Tribunal in its ruling on Saturday stated that Ghana did not violate the rights of Ivory Coast in exploring oil at the maritime boundary.
Ghana’s former President John Mahama under whose tenure the case was first sent to ITLOS said in a statement that the development “shows clearly, what we can achieve together when Government works as a continuum.”
“I am proud of the results and salute my brother President Alassane Ouatarra that we did not allow this litigation to mar the cordial relations that exists between Ghana and La Cote D’Ivoire” he added.
Ghana’s vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia expressed delight over the ruling but was quoted by local media as saying that “there is no winner or loser.”
“We took a very good way to resolve this dispute – there was no fighting or quarrelling,” the vice president said on Saturday.
Ghana started commercial drilling of oil in 2010 and various companies have explored for other oil fields in the country’s waters.
Tullow Oil which was operating in the TEN field which was under dispute was asked to halt activities until the dispute was resolved.
The company has welcomed the judgment, promising to resume work at the TEN Fields by the end of the year.
Source: Africafeeds.com
