Equatorial Guinea is Supported by a UN Court in the Gabon-Disputed Islands Issue

In a dispute with neighbouring Gabon about which treaty resolved possession of three mainly deserted oil-rich islands, judges at the highest U.N. court sided with Equatorial Guinea. As a result of the judgement, Equatorial Guinea essentially receives the islands.

The governments submitted their case to the International Court of Justice in 2021, requesting judges to establish whether a legal agreement resolved the control of the oil-rich islands. According to the 15-judge panel, the ultimate authority was a convention signed in 1900 between France and Spain to divide colonial assets.

Judge Julia Sebutinde ruled that a second deal, the 1974 Bata Convention, which grants Gabon the islands, was “not a treaty having the force of law.” Equatorial Guinea challenged the document, and Gabon failed to provide the court with an original copy.

Equatorial Guinea ruled the region until a military conflict in 1972 saw Gabon seize control of Mbanie, the biggest island. The argument resurfaced after oil was found in coastal waterways. Both nations’ economies rely heavily on oil; however, recent years have seen a drop in output from current regions.

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