Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire Boundary Dispute: The Customary Agreements that Dispel a Looming Interstate War

Abstract

The application of customary laws between two disputant states is quite cumbersome if there is no written agreement. I explore how customary equidistance laws are used as a frame work to resolve a conflict between two disputant states. Customary equidistance laws are prominent in maritime boundaries. Ghana and Cote D‟Ivoire have a long history of written agreement to safeguard their maritime boundaries. This customary agreement was observed by the two countries for five decades without any rancour. The Ivorian government only became alarmed when Ghana made a substantial oil discovery next to the equidistance line bordering the two nations. This oil findings led to a diplomatic row between Ghana and Cote D‟Ivoire, which needed the intervention of a third neutral party. The International Tribunal for the of the Sea (ITLOS) acted as an arbitrator to resolve the impasse between Ghana and Cote D‟Ivoire. Prior to ruling, ITLOS placed an embargo on Ghana from drilling new wells in the disputed area. The embargo was disruptive to oil companies in Ghana. In the year 2016, the revenue of oil companies in Ghana fell by 50 percent.