Lands and Natural Resources Minister says the emerging claim from Ivory Coast to portions of the oil fields in the Western Region is a very delicate matter.

Collins Dauda said the issue has serious international and diplomatic repercussions.

Government is expecting Parliament to quickly deliberate on a bill that would establish a boundary commission to negotiate Ghana’s maritime boundaries with Ivory Coast.

The Ghana Boundaries Commission Bill has been sent to Parliament under a certificate of urgency, Mr Dauda indicated.

“A national Boundaries Commission will be put in place that would engage our neighbours in La Cote d’Ivoire with a view of negotiating our maritime boundary between ourselves and our brothers in Ivory Coast.

“We have not been able, as a country, to determine our boundary with Ivory Coast and there is the need for us to now determine the maritime boundary between Ghana and Ivory Coast,” he said.

Mr Dauda however said both countries have, for years, respected “a median line” between them that cannot be trespassed.

“All of a sudden, with the oil find, Ivory Coast is making a claim that is disrespecting this median line we have all respected. In which case we would be affected or the oil find will be affected,” he said.

Baseless claim

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister said the claim by Ivory Coast is baseless.

This, according to him, is because the claim by the Francophone country is rather parallel to certain internationally acceptable standards of determining maritime boundaries.”
Collins Dauda said, last year, Ghana appealed to the United Nations to extend its maritime boundary by 200 nautical miles.

As a precondition, the UN directed the country to negotiate boundaries with its neighbours, he disclosed.

Disrespect for ‘median line’

The latest turn of events may even be more surprising as Ivory Coast has already sent a correspondence to the Republic of Ghana, expressing disrespect for the median line the two countries have agreed upon for years.

Ivory Coast also has made a submission to the United Nations laying claim to portions of Ghana’s oil find.

The Francophone country has failed to respond to a letter from the government of Ghana urging it to state the basis on which it is making the claim.

Bi-partisan urgency

Head of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre, Dr Kwesi Aning, says the latest turn of events exemplifies “a failure of the state institutions to protect our national interest.”

Dr Aning said there is a general lack of seriousness in ensuring the country’s boundaries are protected.

The security expert is recommending a solid technical documentation studied by lawyers with expertise in petroleum issues.

The documentation, he said, must be given a strong bi-partisan urgency to ensure that the country derives the most from its oil resources.

Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Cyrus De-Graft Johnson contributed reporting