The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Major General Emmanuel Kotia, has disclosed that the land boundary reaffirmation between Ghana and Cote D' Ivoire will be finalised by 2025.

At a joint technical meeting held on Monday, November 5, 2024, he stated the two countries have agreed to abide by and implement the decision of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) regarding their longstanding maritime boundary dispute.

"For this meeting, we are particularly interested in ratifying some of the framework and agreements that we are going to work with Cote d'Ivoire. We will also come up with a plan of action about how to implement the ruling that was undertaken some years back.

"One of the key areas is that we will have joint maritime patrols along the international boundary line to ensure that the international boundary line is intact. We are adhering to the ruling by the ITLOS tribunal, the second one has to do with reaffirmation of our international boundary. If you go along the land boundary between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, quite a number have been there. We have already done 150 kilometres, and we have to come out with a plan of action on how to continue with this process going forward. We hope to finish the land boundary by 2025", he added.

Major General Emmanuel Kotia also noted that the relationship between the two continues to improve, further solidifying their commitment to peaceful boundary resolution.

"The relationship between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire is very important, especially when we are dealing with land and maritime boundaries. It would be recalled that Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire had a maritime dispute that was resolved by the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea.

"Apart from that we share the longest land boundary with Cote d' Ivoire and this is the fourth time we have formed a joint technical committee, and we meet on annual basis in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana alternatively now. For some time now, we have conducted activities together, and the relationship between us continues to improve", he noted.

The dispute intensified in 2014 when Ghana brought the case before ITLOS, responding to Côte d'Ivoire's claims that Ghana had encroached on Ivorian maritime territory during oil exploration activities near Cape Three Points in Ghana's Western Region.

Ghana defended its stance by arguing that Côte d'Ivoire had long recognised Ghana's ownership of the area and, therefore, could not retroactively claim rights to the disputed zone.

Both countries have pledged to honour the tribunal's ruling, marking a significant step in diplomatic cooperation and respect for international law.

The border reaffirmation exercise is expected to clarify the territorial boundaries of both nations, promote stability and improve economic opportunities in the region.

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