Ghana and Ivory Coast have reached an agreement to jointly patrol their international maritime boundaries in line with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling.
This collaboration aims to prevent oil exploration companies from operating illegally in the disputed waters and to avert future territorial conflicts while protecting the marine resources and economic interests of both nations.
Starting in 2025, a joint naval operation between the two countries will safeguard their sovereign rights and jurisdiction over their respective maritime territories.
The operation will be coordinated by the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) and Ivory Coast’s boundary commission.
The agreement follows a two-day technical committee meeting in Accra, where officials from both countries discussed the implementation of the ITLOS ruling.
Major General Emmanuel Kotia, Director General of Ghana’s Boundary Commission, emphasized that the joint inspections would enhance the enforcement of the ruling, with both navies working together to carry out the inspections.
The two nations also agreed to continue the land boundary reaffirmation exercise, which will be extended by 300 kilometers next year, bringing the total reaffirmation to 450 kilometers.
This is part of the broader effort to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the boundary lines.
In the communique, the two parties agreed on the finalization of phase one of the reaffirmation exercise, set to take place between January and March 2025. Phase two will follow from September to October 2025, with phase three to be scheduled during the next joint plenary meeting.
Both countries are committed to submitting the updated boundary maps, based on the ITLOS ruling, to the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) by April 27, 2025.
Konate Diakalidia, Executive Secretary of Ivory Coast’s Boundary Commission, expressed his country’s commitment to partnering with Ghana in safeguarding their territories and ensuring the full implementation of the ITLOS ruling.
The meeting, supported by the German Development Agency (GIZ), the African Union Border Programme (AUBP), and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), provided a platform for formulating an action plan to address the boundary dispute and ensure mutual cooperation in the reaffirmation process.
