By Redaction ARPS Media with AP
Judges at the International Court of Justice ruled in favor of Equatorial Guinea in a dispute concerning the ownership of three oil-rich islands with Gabon.
The court identified a 1900 treaty between Spain and France as the primary legal authority, rejecting a subsequent agreement from 1974 that had favored Gabon.
Equatorial Guinea had maintained control over the islands until 1972, when Gabon seized the most significant island, Mbanie, following a military conflict. The discovery of oil reignited the dispute, prompting both nations to seek a resolution after diplomatic negotiations failed.
