Gabon and Equatorial Guinea End 50-Year Island Border Dispute
Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have officially ended a decades-long territorial dispute over three small islands in potentially oil-rich waters after signing an agreement to respect a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing closure to a dispute that had lasted for more than 50 years.
The disagreement centred on the 30-hectare island of Mbanie and two smaller islands, Cocotiers and Conga, located in the Gulf of Guinea. Although the islands are small and largely uninhabited, their location in an area believed to contain valuable oil and gas resources made them strategically important.
Equatorial Guinea and Gabon had disputed ownership of the islands since the early 1970s, with both countries presenting historical and legal claims over the territory.
In May 2025, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled in favour of Equatorial Guinea, deciding that the islands belonged to the country based on historical legal agreements.
Following the court’s decision, Equatorial Guinea’s Foreign Minister Simeon Oyono Esono Angue and Gabon’s Constitutional Council head Dieudonne Aba’a Owono signed an agreement committing both nations to accept the ruling and move forward.
“This matter has been settled once and for all,” the Equatorial Guinean foreign minister said, calling on both countries to focus on future cooperation.
Gabon’s representative said the agreement marked the beginning of a new era of partnership between the two neighbouring countries, highlighting the importance of peaceful relations and collaboration.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who also signed the agreement, welcomed the resolution, describing the dispute as one that had continued for too long.
The territorial disagreement dates back to 1900, when France and Spain, the colonial powers governing the region at the time, signed the Treaty of Paris to define their borders.
Gabon later argued that the 1974 Bata Convention confirmed its claim over the islands. However, the ICJ ruled that the convention did not provide a valid legal title to the territory.
The court determined that the islands were previously controlled by Spain and transferred to Equatorial Guinea after the country gained independence in 1968.
The resolution is expected to strengthen diplomatic ties between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea while reducing tensions over maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Guinea.
The agreement also highlights the importance of international legal mechanisms in resolving disputes between neighbouring countries. Both nations have now pledged to respect the ruling and work together toward greater regional cooperation.
With the decades-old disagreement officially settled, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea can now focus on economic development, security and stronger relations in Central Africa.
