After eight years of unsuccessful bilateral talks, Ghana has decided to take its maritime border dispute with Togo to international arbitration. The announcement was officially made by the Ghanaian presidency on February 20, 2026 .

A decision motivated by the diplomatic impasse

The Ghanaian government has notified its neighbor of its intention to invoke the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) . According to the official statement, this move aims to achieve several objectives:

1. Breaking the deadlock: Negotiations that began eight years ago have not led to a mutual agreement.
2. Easing tensions: Preventing recurring incidents between the institutions of the two countries from escalating.
3. Ensuring legal security: Finding a legal solution while preserving good neighborly relations.

A complex colonial legacy

While the land border between Ghana (former British colony) and Togo (former German then French colony) has been clearly established since the independences of 1960, the maritime border remains unclear.

The lack of an official maritime boundary is a source of regular friction at sea. Despite the creation of special commissions and numerous meetings, the two states clash over divergent visions:

1. Ghana's position: Accra advocates respect for a "traditional" border which it considers to have been established by custom for decades.
2. Togo's position: Lomé maintains that no formal agreement has ever existed and stresses the urgency of defining a route in view of the security and economic stakes (particularly offshore resources).

Why arbitration?

International arbitration offers an alternative to traditional court proceedings. This mechanism relies on the consent of both parties, who commit to respecting the decision rendered by independent arbitrators. For both nations, it represents the hope of a definitive solution to a dispute that is straining their regional cooperation.