Events organiser congratulates government on ITLOS ruling

Organiser of the Ghana Maritime & Shipping, and Aviation Awards, Ninetyeightz Media, has congratulated the government on winning the maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

In a statement issued in Accra, the Chief Executive Officer of Ninetyeightz Media, Mr Bergis Kojo Frimpong, said: “Though the ruling favoured Ghana, we believe the victory is for both countries and West Africa in general.”

It commended the two countries for the peaceful and cooperative process they committed themselves to in settling the dispute.

The statement added that Ninetyeightz Media was happy that the two nations were able to defuse a complicated and potential security threat with calm and maturity.

The media organisation also commended Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire for showcasing true diplomacy and good neighbourliness.

Background

Last Saturday, the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), in a unanimous decision, ruled that Ghana had not violated Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary in any way.

The Special Chamber also rejected Côte d’Ivoire’s argument that Ghana’s coastal lines were unstable for which reason a bisector line method of delimitation was the proper formula. The Chamber ruled that Ghana’s equidistance method of delimitation was the way to go.

It also ruled that Ghana had not violated Côte d’Ivoire’s sovereign rights with its oil exploration in the disputed basin.

The dispute started in 2007 when Ghana discovered oil, which Côte d’Ivoire laid claims to. A series of failed negotiations made Ghana file a case at the ITLOS in 2013 to rule on the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the two countries.

The boundary dispute has, however, subsisted since the 1970s.

The event organising media agency also commended the judges of the Special Chamber as well as the legal and technical teams of both countries for bringing an end to the matter.