UN Court awards disputed oil-rich islands to Equatorial Guinea in territorial case against Gabon

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled in favour of Equatorial Guinea in a decades-long territorial dispute with neighbouring Gabon over three uninhabited islands believed to lie in oil-rich waters.

The contested isles—Conga, Mbanié, and Cocoteros—have been at the centre of a sovereignty battle between the two Central African nations since the 1970s. Although largely uninhabited, their strategic location in the Gulf of Guinea has drawn attention due to the area's potential hydrocarbon reserves.

In its final and legally binding judgment, the ICJ concluded that the islands rightly belong to Equatorial Guinea, citing a 1900 colonial treaty between France and Spain that outlined the division of their African territories. The court rejected Gabon’s argument that a more recent agreement—the 1974 Bata Convention—had shifted ownership in its favour.

The ruling clarified that the islands were initially controlled by Spain and became part of Equatorial Guinea when it gained independence in 1968. As part of the decision, Gabon is expected to withdraw its military forces from Mbanié Island, where it established a presence in 1972 after displacing Equatoguinean troops.

Tensions had simmered since then but reignited in the 2000s with the discovery of possible oil reserves in the disputed maritime zone. In 2016, after years of diplomatic stalemate and UN-mediated efforts, both countries agreed to submit the matter to the ICJ for resolution.

Reacting to the judgment, Guy Rossatanga-Rignault, a spokesperson for the Gabonese presidency, acknowledged the need for continued dialogue. “Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have to live side-by-side, we can't move away from each other. Therefore, we will have to talk it over to solve all these problems,” he said, as reported by AFP.

Both Equatorial Guinea and Gabon are established oil producers, but declining output in recent years—attributed to ageing infrastructure and limited new exploration—has heightened interest in the islands’ untapped potential.

The ruling paves the way for future negotiations over maritime boundaries and resource rights, but also underscores the importance of peaceful dispute resolution through international legal mechanisms.