In 2007, Ghana discovered oil and gas in commercial quantities, and this was followed by Cote d’Ivoire staking its claim to portions of the West Cape Three Points.

Speaking on the issue for the first time, President Akufo-Addo said it was important that Ghana consolidated its gains with the judgment.

The president noted that the Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara “is sending a high emissary to come and see me on Thursday morning… to begin to sketch out how we go from Saturday in Hamburg; what are the things that we need to do consolidate what happened in Hamburg on Saturday and then to find a way forward from then on.”

Ghana on Saturday emerged victorious in its three-year-long maritime boundary dispute with Cote d’Ivoire.

The Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea constituted to hear the dispute unanimously declared that Ghana had not violated Cote d’Ivoire’s sovereign rights with its oil exploration activities.

It also held that Ghana was not financially obligated to Cote d’Ivoire with respect to those activities to give rise to the issue of compensation.

The tribunal further rejected Cote d’Ivoire’s claim that Ghana disobeyed its April 25, 2015 preliminary orders, which directed that new wells should not be drilled in the disputed area.

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By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The meeting will see the two parties come up with a plan on how to actualize the judgment of the court.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DKAhuj7b7jLWpfHhqv8dNxhPqdRPIZM8″]The Minister for Information, Mustapha Hamid, in an interview with journalists in Accra, said the President will speak formally on the court’s judgment at the meeting.

“In this coming week, the Ivorian President will send envoys to Ghana and together the two governments will tell the world what it is they are willing to do in respect to this judgment. For now, the President will hold his peace until that engagement with the Ivorian envoys, and then we can let the Ghanaian people know what the formal positions of the two governments are with regards to the ITLOS government,” Mustapha Hamid said.

The Special Chamber of ITLOS in a unanimous decision on Saturday September 23, 2017, ruled that there has not been any violation on the part of Ghana on Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary.

It rejected Côte d’Ivoire’s argument that Ghana’s coastal lines were unstable, noting that Ghana has not violated Côte d’Ivoire’s sovereign rights with its oil exploration in the disputed basin.

Justice Boualem Bouguetaia, President of the Special Chamber in reading the judgment, accepted Ghana’s argument of adoption of the equidistance method of delineation of the maritime boundary.

In consideration of the new boundary, the Chamber determined that it starts from boundary 55 -200 nautical miles away, a position much closer to what Ghana was arguing for.

Analysts say Ghana would now have to wait to see how the final map looks, once the coordinates are plotted in the sea using boundary pillar BP 55+ on a common land boundary, as a starting point for drawing the new equidistance line.

In 2014, Ghana took the case to ITLOS to dispel claims it has encroached Cote d’Ivoire’s marine borders as part of oil exploration activities at Cape Three Points, off the shores of the Western Region.

Ghana’s defense held that Cote d’Ivoire was barred from demanding ownership to the disputed area they had acknowledged that Ghana owned without any qualms in the decades leading up to the oil discovery.

Cote D’lvoire, Ghana accept ITLOS judgement on maritime dispute

Agents who represented Ghana and Cote D’lvoire, Gloria Akuffo and Adama Toungara, have already said they accept the  judgement on the case.

This was contained in a joint statement released hours after the Chamber’s judgement on Saturday.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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“There is no winner or loser of this. We are all winners because we will continue to leave in peace with one another and corporate with one another across many spheres. We took a very good way to resolve this dispute. There was no fighting, there was no quarreling, we just adjudicated at the International Tribunal and the matter by the grace of God has been settled,” he said on Saturday.

Côte d’Ivoire had accused Ghana of overstepping its maritime boundary in the exploration of oil at the West most part of the Cape Three Points.

But the ITLOS Chamber in a unanimous decision on Saturday held that, there has not been any violation on the part of Ghana on Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary.

The Chamber rejected Côte d’Ivoire’s argument that Ghana’s coastal lines were unstable.

Speaking at this year’s Kundum Festival of the chiefs and people of Nsein Traditional area in the Western Region on Saturday, Dr. Bawumia  welcomed the decision describing it as good news.

“…that judgment is very consistent with Ghana’s position all along. And so we are thankful to God, we are also thankful to our brothers and government of Côte d’Ivoire…I think that on this day, it is very remarkable that we should all receive this good news,” he added.

The Kundum Festival also climaxed activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the enstoolment of Awulae Agyefi Kwame II as Omanhene of Nsein Traditional area in the Western region.

Don’t mock Ivory Coast

Security analyst, Dr. Kwesi Anning had earlier admonished Ghanaians to celebrate in moderation their victory at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea.

“it’s important for the Ghanaian side that we don’t gloat over this victory, that we don’t make too much noise and tease the other side. Victory is an emotional thing and its crucially important that we don’t make the Ivoirians feel that they weren’t good enough and that we are smarter than them. Our celebrations must be muted and we must continue to stretch a hand out to the Ivoirians that we are still friends, brothers and that we seek development in a stable, functional, collaborative, inclusive sub region,” he said in a Citi News interview.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/ctifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Boundary dispute shouldn’t destroy Ghana, Ivory Coast relations – Bawumia appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Chamber in a unanimous decision on Saturday September 23, 2017, ruled that there has not been any violation on the part of Ghana on Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary.

The infographic below captures the history of the case; events between when it started and when it ended.

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By: Melvin Clottey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghana’s maritime dispute case against Ivory Coast [Infographic] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The landmark ruling will be delivered on Saturday, September 23rd after a 3-year long dispute between Ghana and Ivory Coast over maritime boundaries.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1eaVhVq4q6nDY4UVeNS6zE8htumENRsB”]In 2014, Ghana went to the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), seeking a declaration that it has not encroached on Cote d’Ivoire’s territorial waters as claimed by the latter.

Speaking to the Bloomberg, President Akufo Addo, maintained that the ruling will inform his government’s decisions.

“The ruling is on Saturday, we are waiting to see what decision will be made and we will see how best we can enforce the ruling of the court,” he said.

While admitting the ruling has economic consequences for Ghana, Akufo-Addo said the government was doing a lot of work to mitigate any negative impact should the ruling go against Ghana.

He said he would make his intentions clear on the way forward for the country after the ruling.

The President, who is currently in the US to attend the United Nationals General Assembly meeting said a previous interview that Ghana would accept whatever ruling is giving by the court.

The Ghanaian and Ivorian teams presented their final arguments before the court in February 2017 but the ruling was moved to September,

President Akufo-Addo, while in Ivory Coast as part of his Africa court earlier this year said, “Whatever the result of that litigation, and, naturally, I hope it goes in favour of Ghana, I want to assure President Ouattara, his government and the Ivorian people of the determination of my government and I to work with you in a healthy manner of co-operation to deal with the consequences of the pending judgment… What is of paramount importance to our two populations is the peaceful exploitation of the maritime resources for their benefit.”

Ghana’s Attorney General Gloria Akufo at the hearing of the case earlier this year argued that the two countries already have an agreement on their maritime boundary, although informal.

Ivory Coast, on the other hand, rejected that claim, calling on the Chamber to declare that Ghana has indeed violated the sovereign rights of Ivory Coast when it unilaterally undertook drilling activities in that boundary.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The country went to the ITLOS in September 2014 seeking a declaration that it has not encroached on Cote d’Ivoire’s territorial waters.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ZYgWZ4LJahP3LzJ0uGILRasUMRbGkoT6″]The case was subsequently called in February this year where both countries presented their final arguments but a determination of the matter was moved to September this year.

President Akufo-Addo, in an address during a state dinner held in his honor by the President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara over the weekend said although he hoped that the judgment goes in Ghana’s favour, he was ready to work cordially with the Ivorian government after the judgment.

“We are all aware of the litigation in Hamburg on the delimitation of our maritime boundaries. Whatever the result of that litigation, and, naturally, I hope it goes in favour of Ghana, I want to assure President Ouattara, his government and the Ivorian people of the determination of my government and I to work with you in a healthy manner of co-operation to deal with the consequences of the pending judgment,” he said.

“What is of paramount importance to our two populations is the peaceful exploitation of the maritime resources for their benefit. The close co-operation of stable, fully functioning democracies, such as ours, will give a great push to the growth of stable, constitutional governance not just in our region, but on the entire African continent, which can only inure to the benefit and welfare of the African peoples,” he added.

Ghana’s Attorney General Gloria Akufo at the hearing of the case earlier this year argued that the two countries already have an agreement on their maritime boundary, although informal.

Ivory Coast, on the other hand, rejected that claim, calling on the Chamber to declare that Ghana has indeed violated the sovereign rights of Ivory Coast when it unilaterally undertook drilling activities in that boundary.

But Ghana in its final submission called on the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), not to be swayed by Ivory Coast’s argument.

The Attorney General and leader of Ghana’s delegation to the ITLOS, Gloria Akuffo, told the Special Chamber that Ivory Coast was trying to move the boundary to the east to benefit from Ghana’s oil reserves.

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By: Felicia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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