Accra, September 25, 2017//-The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), a leading energy think-tank in Ghana and beyond has lauded Ghana and La Cote d’Ivoire for agreeing to abide by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling.
Soon after the ruling on Saturday by the President of the Special Chamber, Boualem Bouaguetaia, leaders of the delegation of Ghana and La Cote d’Ivoire – Gloria Akuffo and Adama Toungara respectively – issued a joint communiqué, accepting the judgement.
“ACEP commends the legal teams and industry experts who committed time and resources on both sides to see the dispute to a successful end,” it said in a statement on Monday.
“This decision by ITLOS provides clarity and certainty of the delimitation between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.” ACEP admitted in the statement signed by Executive Director Benjamin Boakye that the conflict had negative implications for upstream activities, citing halt in Tullow’s new drilling activities, for example.
It therefore asked other African countries having maritime boundarydisputes to take a cue from Ghana and La Cote d’Ivoire “to properly define, document and sign all boundary agreements most of which were inherited from the colonial era to prevent future disputes”.
According to the statement, the clarity on boundary delimitation provides certainty and could improve investment attraction.
Companies which have suspended activities to “quickly move to site and comply with their minimum work obligations or relinquish their interests”, the statement urged.
African Eye Report
