The Government of Ghana has served notice to the Government of Togo of its decision to refer the maritime boundary delimitation between the two countries to international arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Presidency announced this in a statement signed by the Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications,Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on Friday.
According to the statement, the decision follows eight years of attempts at negotiating a boundary which have not resulted in an agreed outcome.
“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 (UNCLOS),” the statement said.
The government explained that Ghana has taken this step to avoid an escalation of incidents that have created tensions between some institutions of the two countries and to promote an amicable resolution.
The statement indicated that the move is intended to contribute to the continued good relations between Ghana and Togo despite the unresolved maritime boundary issue.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides a framework for resolving maritime boundary disputes between countries through international arbitration when bilateral negotiations fail to produce agreement.
Ghana and Togo share a maritime border in the Gulf of Guinea, where both countries have offshore oil and gas exploration activities.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
