Security Analyst, Dr. Kwesi Anning has advised Ghanaians not to mock Ivorians over the country’s victory at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea in a maritime dispute case with Côte d’Ivoire.
The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on Saturday, September 23, 2017 unanimously ruled that Ghana did not violate the rights of Cote d’Ivoire in exploring oil at the maritime boundary.
Côte d’Ivoire had accused Ghana of overstepping its maritime boundary in the exploration of oil at the West most part of the Cape Three Points.
But the ITLOS Chamber in a unanimous decision on Saturday held that, there has not been any violation on the part of Ghana on Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary.
The Chamber rejected Côte d’Ivoire’s argument that Ghana’s coastal lines were unstable.
Commenting on the judgment, Mr Anning indicated that in as much as the ruling means a lot for Ghanaians, it’s important for the Ghanaian side not gloat over the victory.
“The ruling is very important for Ghanaians but we must be careful not to make too much noise and tease the other side” he said on Accra based Neat FM.
He noted that both countries, have shown maturity and demonstrated that Africans are united.
“Africans are united and I think the ruling will also bring peace and stability between two countries. Côte d’Ivoire can still come and do business with Ghana and so we should look at the bigger picture and the benefits for Africa. It is important that ordinary citizens check their utterances on the matter” he advised.
The security analyst further commended the patience exhibited by Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire within the almost a decade long dispute.
