Danger! Ghana could lose “oil war” with Ivory Coast

Suggestions that some foreign interests and global oil giants are behind Ivory Coast in its maritime border dispute with Ghana with the hope of making good returns on their investments should Ivory Coast succeed, is manifesting by the day, according to international intelligence sources.

Ivory Coast, which earlier this year announced having struck oil off its coast, which appeared to be a disputed maritime space between the two countries has petitioned the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to demarcate the Ivorian territorial maritime boundary with Ghana if current negotiations with Accra fail.

According to an Israeli intelligence report, President Alassane Ouattara now wants to force Ghana to negotiate on its terms, possibly before the June 2014 deadline.

Though uncertainty remains high with regard to the outcome of the boundary demarcation between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, there are fears if changes are made to the maritime boundary demarcation between them, Ghana may lose Deepwater Tano Block to the Ivory Coast.

According to the intelligence report, Ivory Coast President, Allassane Ouattara is banking hope on support from France and some world oil giants to a successful claim to Ghana’s oil.

But, a Law lecturer at GIMPA, Ernest Kofi Abotsi says Ghana must take immediate pragmatic steps towards resolving the maritime dispute with her western neighbour.

He said without any further delay, Ghana government must put together a crack team of lawyers, geologists, and oceanographers to respond to the challenge being mounted by Ivory Coast for the oil-rich C100 maritime space lying between the two countries and thought to contain 2 billion barrels of oil and 1.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Both Ghana and the Ivory Coast are claiming ownership of a territory in the maritime border of the two countries though, it had exclusive possession and occupation of the territory until April this year, when Ivory Coast announced it had struck oil in a block off Ivory Coast and adjacent Ghana’s Jubilee Field.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has assured that the maritime border dispute that has re-emerged between the two neighbors will be resolved by June 2014.

According to Alhaji Fuseini, a meeting has been scheduled between officers of the two countries from November 26 to November 28 at a boundary on the high sea – Pillar 55.

“They have agreed that when they meet there, they will go to the site together to establish the geographical coordinates of the boundary Post 55,” Alhaji Fuseini told journalists on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.

Two previous meetings to resolve the dispute have been held in Accra. “They have agreed that the next two meetings will be held in Abidjan,” the Lands and Natural Resources Minister announced.

According to Alhaji Fuseini, those meetings will be held in January and March next year.