In brief
The ICJ's decision affirms Equatorial Guinea's claim to three disputed islands previously occupied by Gabon, emphasizing the significance of historical treaties.
The United Nations' top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has ruled in favor of Equatorial Guinea in its dispute with Gabon over three uninhabited islands located in potentially oil-rich waters. The conflict between these two Central African nations has persisted since the 1970s. The islands in contention—Conga, Mbanié, and Cocoteros—are thought to be situated in a maritime zone with significant oil deposits. The court decided that Equatorial Guinea's claim, stemming from a 1900 treaty that divided French and Spanish colonial territories, should be upheld. Gabon’s argument, based on a later treaty (the 1974 Bata Convention) that it claimed altered the islands' sovereignty, was rejected. In a final ruling, the ICJ stated that the islands originally belonged to Spain and were transferred to Equatorial Guinea following its independence in 1968. Consequently, Gabon must withdraw its military personnel from Mbanié, the largest of the islands. This dispute escalated in 1972 when Gabonese troops expelled Equatorial Guinea’s military and established a presence on the island. Although tensions eased over time, the discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea reignited the conflict, leading to UN mediation and the ultimate ICJ ruling in 2016 to resolve the issue.
