Ghana and Cote d’lvoire have accepted the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea’s (ITLOS) ruling on their maritime boundary dispute on Saturday, which favoured Ghana.
A joint statement issued hours after the ruling in Hamburg, Germany, and signed by the leaders of the teams for the two countries at the tribunal, said the two countries were mutually committed to abide by the terms of the judgement.
The statement was signed by Gloria Akuffo, Ghana’s Attorney-General, and Adama Toungara, Cote d’Ivoire’s Presidential Advisor,
“Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana seize the opportunity to reiterate the mutual commitment of the two countries to abide by the terms of this decision from the Special Chamber, and to fully collaborate for its implementation.
“Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana accept the decision, in accordance with the Statute of ITLOS,” the statement said.
The two countries also affirmed their strong will to work together to strengthen and intensify their brotherly relationships of cooperation and good neighbourliness.
“On the joint behalf of the Presidents and the people of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire and the Republic of Ghana, we would like to express our gratitude to the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the courteous attention with which the proceedings were conducted,” the statement added.
The ruling is expected to end the long standing maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Cote d’lvoire.
The Chamber ruled that there has not been any violation on the part of Ghana on Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary.
It further rejected Côte D’Ivoire’s argument that Ghana’s coastal lines were unstable, adding that Ghana had not violated Côte d’Ivoire’s sovereign rights with its oil exploration in the disputed basin in question.
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.
By Nii Adotey/adrdaily.com
