NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 20 — Ghana has formally notified Togo of its decision to pursue international arbitration to settle a long-standing maritime boundary dispute, citing years of unsuccessful bilateral negotiations and rising tensions between institutions in both countries.
In a statement on Friday, the Ghanaian government said it invoked provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to delimit the maritime boundary after eight years of talks failed to produce an agreement.
“The Government of Ghana has served the Government of Togo with notice of its decision that the maritime boundary between Ghana and Togo be delimited by recourse to international arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the statement read.
Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the move aims to prevent further escalation and promote an amicable, lawful settlement.
“Ghana has taken this step in order to avoid an escalation of incidents that have created tensions between some of our institutions and to promote an amicable resolution, thereby contributing to the continued good relations between our two countries,” Ofosu said.
Maritime boundary disputes in the Gulf of Guinea are particularly sensitive due to the region’s offshore oil and gas reserves and strategic shipping lanes.
Ghana has previously relied on international arbitration to resolve similar conflicts, notably a 2017 tribunal ruling that settled a maritime boundary case with the Ivory Coast.
The UNCLOS arbitration process is expected to take several years, during which both countries will present legal and technical arguments, including hydrographic data, historical claims, and prior treaties, to an international tribunal.