Tribunal tackles maritime boundary dispute

An international tribunal last week began hearing arguments in a dispute between Ghana and Ivory Coast over a contested maritime boundary that cuts through lucrative offshore oil fields. A report on the News24 site notes that the area is believed to hold the biggest hydrocarbon resources discovered in West Africa over the past decade. The neighbours have asked the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to rule on where the border lies exactly. Ghana claims there is no need to deviate from a decades-long 'mutually agreed and recognised' boundary line based on equidistance. On the other hand, the Ivory Coast claims the border is not properly demarcated and accuses Ghana of carrying out oil exploration activities in Ivorian maritime zones. The report notes that both sides will lay out their case in oral hearings over the next two weeks.