- Eq Guinea, Gabon in court over Mbanie island
- Ruling expected in 2025 from ICJ in The Hague
- Dispute lay dormant until oil finds in 2000s
At just one kilometer long, the tiny West African island of Mbanie might seem an unlikely focal point for a bitter territorial dispute.
But a string of oil and gas discoveries and developments in the waters surrounding the island are fueling a tense court battle — the culmination of a years-long feud between OPEC members Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Both countries have laid claim to the 74-acre island, which could be a jumping off point for further crude oil exploration, having seen their vital oil production stagnate or fall in recent years.
In October, lawyers and representatives from the neighbors started presenting their arguments to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, with Equatorial Guinea’s case led by Domingo Mba Esono, vice minister of mines and hydrocarbons.
