Kofi Ampeah Woode
A two-day 4th Joint Ghana-la Cote d’Ivoire Boundary Commission Technical Committee bilateral meeting has commenced in Accra, after the Committee was inaugurated in 2023 in Abidjan.
The Preliminary Session took off on Monday 4 November 2024, at the Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra, with the Commissioner General, and the Executive Secretary of the respective Boundary Commissions – Major General (Maj Gen) Emmanuel Wekem Kotia, and Mr Diakalidia Konate as Joint Chairs.
Sponsorship of the conference is by the African Union Border Program (AUBP) and Deutsche Gesellschaft fϋr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Mitigation of Transnational Organized Crrime (MTOC), represented by its West African Project Director – Dr Bakary Sanou.
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have held high-level meetings on how the two countries and their respective boundary commissions involve and collaborate in various efforts, on land and maritime boundaries.
The preliminary session had threefold objectives: One is to validate various bilateral frameworks prepared by the two boundary commissions (which include one on cross-border cooperation between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire), and once this validation is concluded, the two governments represented by their Foreign Ministers will sign them.
Another relates to agreement on the reaffirmation on land boundaries, and the implementation of the International Tribunal on the Laws of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling between the two countries; a third is to validate the rules and procedures for all meetings, and the various activities further on.
Another objective is the planning of maritime boundary activities – which is also geared specifically towards the implementation of the ITLOS ruling; a plan of action to be produced out of this joint committee meeting and validated; then an assessment of land boundary activities, and a plan of action for 2025 and beyond.
Previously, one of their key activities was a joint sensitization that was held in 2023 at Newtown – a border town in Ghana – followed by the re-establishment of 150 kilometers of land boundary between Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, from Newtown northwards.
From Wednesday 30 October 2024 to 5 November 2024, the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) and the National Boundary Commission of Cote d’Ivoire (CNFCI) have camped in Accra, facilitating series of meetings geared towards the collaboration and cooperation along their common international land boundary.
Maj Gen EW Kotia said, Ghana is ready to go ahead to sign the ensuing agreement that would improve the relationship between the two countries, especially on land and maritime boundaries.
He added that Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire will continue to work and collaborate, so far as international boundary issues are concerned, hoping that at the end of the conference, the decisions taken would further enhance collaboration, and improve the working relationship between the two neighbours, and their Boundary Commissions.
Dr Sanou, on his part said since 26th of August 2022 when the two collaborated, it is exciting that they are already meeting on a joint committee level for the 4th time, and in between, have achieved so much, especially the reaffirmation of 150 kilometers of their common border, and the communities’ engagements and sensitization.
He also spoke of the development of common boundary and socio-economic infrastructure, which he said would serve as a great tool at the continental level, to inspire border governors across Africa, of which he reminded that three countries – Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia – are currently active, after being inspired by the collaboration between la Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.
He added that at the end of the conference, there would be a validation of the Bilateral Agreement of Cross-Border Cooperation, and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two Boundary Commissions, on their common border management, and assured of the support of the GIZ M-TOC and the AUBP, for the results.
The Executive Director, CNFCI – Mr Konate expressed pleasure with the ongoing collaboration, which he said, allows to accelerate the process of reaffirmation of borders, and to implement the decision of the ITLOS on the maritime border dispute between his country and Ghana.
He added that conclusions of an earlier conference held in Abidjan – the Abidjan Border Forum 2024 – has afforded his commission to highlight the link between the security and management of shared natural resources in border areas, which obliges the commission to accelerate the process of reaffirmation of common borders, and to further strengthen trans-Border cooperation, in order to ensure a better integration of the two countries.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
