UN Court Rules in Favor of Equatorial Guinea in Maritime Dispute with Gabon

Equatorial Guinea prevails in a long-standing territorial dispute with Gabon over uninhabited islands believed to harbor oil reserves.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' highest judicial body, has ruled in favor of Equatorial Guinea in its ongoing dispute with Gabon regarding three uninhabited islands—Conga, Mbanié, and Cocoteros—located in potentially oil-rich waters. The disagreement, which dates back to the early 1970s, has hinged on the sovereignty of these islands, each now characterized by their uninhabited status yet thought to lie in a region rich in oil reserves.

In its ruling, the ICJ maintained that Equatorial Guinea’s claims are valid based on a treaty established in 1900 that divided colonial possessions between France and Spain. The court rejected Gabon's arguments, which largely rested on a subsequent treaty from 1974—the Bata convention—that Gabon contended shifted sovereignty and ownership to itself.

The ICJ declared Conga, Mbanié, and Cocoteros were initially Spanish territories, subsequently awarded to Equatorial Guinea upon its independence in 1968. Following this decision, Gabon is now obligated to withdraw its military presence from Mbanié, which it had occupied since it drove Equatoguinean forces off the island in 1972.

Despite tensions easing over the decades, the discovery of potential oil deposits in the Gulf of Guinea reignited the dispute in the early 2000s. After years of unsuccessful mediation, the two nations agreed in 2016 to let the ICJ make a definitive ruling on the matter. The implications of this decision may lead to significant shifts in the region's oil exploration and production dynamics.