Judges at the International Court of Justice ruled in favor of Equatorial Guinea in a legal dispute with Gabon regarding the ownership of three oil-rich, mostly uninhabited islands.
This ruling effectively grants control of the islands to Equatorial Guinea.
The dispute was brought to the court in 2021, with both nations seeking clarification on the treaty that governs the ownership of these islands.
The panel of 15 judges determined that a treaty from 1900 between Spain and France, which delineated colonial territories, is the definitive legal framework.
A subsequent agreement, the 1974 Bata Convention, which allocated the islands to Gabon, was deemed by Judge Julia Sebutinde as lacking the legal force of a treaty.
Equatorial Guinea contested this document, and Gabon failed to provide an original copy for the court’s review.
Historically, Equatorial Guinea controlled the islands until 1972, when Gabon seized the largest island, Mbanie, during a military conflict.
The discovery of oil in the surrounding waters reignited the dispute. Both nations rely heavily on oil for their economies, yet production from current fields has been declining in recent years.
After unsuccessful diplomatic attempts to resolve the issue, the countries sought the court’s intervention to determine ownership.
