ITLOS ruling: Kwesi Anning warns against mocking Ivorians

Security Analyst, Dr. Kwesi Anning has advised Ghanaians against ridiculing Ivorians after the maritime dispute between the two countries was decided in Ghana’s favour by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

ITLOS on Saturday unanimously ruled that Ghana did not violate the sovereign rights of Cote d’Ivoire in exploring oil in the Tano basin.

Côte d’Ivoire had accused Ghana of overstepping its maritime boundary in the exploration of oil at the West of Cape Three Points.

But the ITLOS Special Chamber in a unanimous decision 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, Dr Anning, who is the Head of the Department of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), indicated that in as much as the ruling means a lot for Ghanaians, it is important for them not gloat.

“The ruling is very important for Ghanaians but we must be careful not to make too much noise and tease the other side,” he cautioned 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 the 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 in bringing finality to the almost a decade-long dispute.