8 African countries exchange knowledge on land, maritime boundaries

A Three-day experience-sharing workshop aimed at enhancing the capacity of officials of African boundary commissions in handling crucial initiatives related to land and maritime boundaries has been held in Accra.  

Hosted by the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) in line with the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation, the workshop focused on developing and operationalising national boundary commissions of the participating countries.

Representatives from boundary commissions of Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia attended the programme which was funded by the German government under the African Union Border Programme (AUBP).

The programme is crucial in assisting the Southern African countries, especially, to understand the need for establishing national boundary commissions to maintain stability and cooperation between countries by delimiting and demarcating international boundaries.

Addressing the opening ceremony, a Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, cautioned that Africa's enduring developmental aspirations may be jeopardised if its borders remain impediments to sustained socio-economic growth and progress, instead of serving as bridges for collaboration and prosperity.

He stated that the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area hinges on the creation of seamless borders that facilitate the unhindered movement of goods and services.

"As we engage in this experience-sharing session, let us remember that each of us brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the table.

I urge you all to actively participate and share ideas for the betterment of our states," Mr Owusu-Bio counselled the participants. 

Law Review

The Minister also hinted at a review of the act of parliament governing the operations of the Ghana Boundary Commission to enable it to also undertake internal boundary issues in line with international best practices.

The new bill, which has been gazetted for consideration by Parliament, seeks to enhance the Commission’s capacity to amicably resolve internal boundary conflicts by promoting the peaceful settlement of boundary disputes through the development of a framework for negotiations, mediation and arbitration.

It will also safeguard peace and stability by reducing the risk of internal boundary disputes, as well as the risk of political interference in the management of communal conflicts.

He, however, expressed worry that whereas financial challenges continue to affect the work of the Commission, the government continues to engage the Ministry of Finance to ensure adequate funding for the activities of the Commission.

The Deputy German Ambassador to Ghana, Sivine Jansen, in her remarks, indicated that demarcations, delimitation and collaborations across borders are key to addressing cross-border challenges while ensuring peace and stability.

In this regard, the GIZ, she said, has started the project in different areas “and we are happy that the various countries are coming together to share experiences and collaborate on effective boundary delimitation and affirmation,” she said.

Ms Jansen also underscores the regional security challenges related to the boundaries of the countries, particularly within West Africa.

“The regional situation is not that easy, and we are hoping that countries such as Ghana, in particular, will find ways to make it easier, and we at the German Foreign Office are happy to continue providing support to achieving the goals that contribute to conflict reduction,” Ms Jansen said.

GhBC

The National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Major General Emmanuel Kotia, expressed the hope that discussions from the workshop would help the participating countries rethink how to reorganise and restructure border governance systems in relation to the international and internal boundaries of their respective countries.