The Attorney General, Marietta Appiah Brew Oppong has downplayed reports of rising tension between Ghana and Ivory Coast after filing a lawsuit against Ivory Coast.<\/p>\n
Ghana has initiated\u00a0arbitration proceeding<\/span><\/a>s<\/strong><\/span> under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), seeking a declaration that it has not encroached on that country’s territorial waters in the exploration of oil.<\/p>\n This comes on the back of failed negotiations between the two countries over the past few years and also the as a result of continued receipt of threatening letters from Cote d\u2019Ivoire by oil companies operating in the disputed area.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a hostile matter; it\u2019s not as if the countries are at loggerheads or that the head of states are no longer friends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”OMZIrG7RbJ9QohjqlX62a1M2Jzr4qKkP”]The development has raised concerns as some international relations analysts believe the relationship between the two nations could be affected.<\/p>\n But speaking to the press in Accra on Tuesday, the Attorney General stated that it is imperative for the general public to understand that \u201cthis is not a hostile act.\u201d<\/p>\n She said since the two neighbouring countries were unable to resolve the dispute between themselves, \u201cthe friendly thing to do is ask an impartial arbiter to determine the issue on your behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Mrs. Appiah Oppong, her Ministry is just \u201cseeking another forum where the matter can be determined to bring certainty and finality to the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that oil companies operating in Ghana\u2019s waters will continue to work despite the suit.<\/p>\n The AG was however unable to state the specific amount the government will spend in the arbitration.<\/p>\n She explained that \u201cthere are internationally accepted principles for charging fees and what I can assure you is that we will make sure these internationally recognized fees are what are applied to the case before the tribunal but it\u2019s too early to say how much this is going to cost.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCompared to the uncertainties and what we may lose if we do not go to arbitration I do not think that it will be excessive,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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