The Hague, Netherlands (ChatnewsTV) – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded public hearings on Friday regarding the ongoing dispute between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea over land and maritime boundaries, as well as sovereignty over several islands. The hearings, which began on September 30, 2024, featured two rounds of oral arguments from both nations.
Equatorial Guinea’s delegation was led by Mr. Domingo Mba Esono, Minister Delegate of Hydrocarbons and Mining Development, while Gabon’s team was headed by Ms. Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo, Honorary President of the Constitutional Court.
The central issue concerns the sovereignty over the Mbanié/Mbañe, Cocotiers/Cocoteros, and Conga islands, as well as the delimitation of the common maritime and land boundaries between the two countries. Both parties invoked legal titles, treaties, and international conventions in their arguments.
As the hearings came to a close, the ICJ stated that it will now begin its deliberations, with a decision to be delivered in a public sitting at a later date.
This case, brought to the court in 2021, aims to resolve a long-standing territorial dispute between the two West African nations. Both governments have expressed confidence in the ICJ’s impartiality and hope for a peaceful resolution.
“The Court’s decision will bring much-needed clarity to the legal status of these areas and ensure the peaceful coexistence of our two nations,” said a representative of Gabon at the conclusion of the hearings.
The court’s decision is highly anticipated, with implications for resource rights and regional stability in Central Africa.
