Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have ruled in favor of Equatorial Guinea in a territorial dispute with neighboring Gabon over the ownership of three uninhabited, oil-rich islands.
The verdict, delivered by the U.N.’s top court, effectively grants control of the islands to Equatorial Guinea, according to reporting from Africa News and the Associated Press.
The two countries brought the case to the ICJ in 2021 after years of failed diplomatic efforts. At the center of the dispute was the question of which legal agreement ultimately determines ownership of the islands.
The court found that a 1900 treaty between colonial powers Spain and France remains the decisive legal instrument. That agreement had divided colonial territories in the region and, according to the 15-judge panel, establishes Equatorial Guinea’s claim.
A 1974 agreement known as the Bata Convention, which would have assigned the islands to Gabon, was rejected by the court. “Not a treaty having the force of law,” said Judge Julia Sebutinde, noting that the document was disputed by Equatorial Guinea and that Gabon failed to present an original copy to the court.
Equatorial Guinea maintained control of the islands until 1972, when Gabon seized the largest of them, Mbanie, in a military operation. The dispute resurfaced after oil was discovered in nearby waters.
Both nations rely heavily on oil revenues, though output from existing reserves has declined in recent years.
With diplomacy stalled, the case was brought to the ICJ in hopes of a final, binding resolution.
