Gabon and Equatorial Guinea sign agreement in Addis Ababa to implement ICJ ruling on Mbanié, Cocotiers, and Conga islands

The agreement, signed at the African Union headquarters during the 49th ordinary session of the Executive Council, outlines the process for border demarcation, monitoring mechanisms, and continued dialogue between the two nations. The ICJ had previously recognized Equatorial Guinea's sovereignty over the three islands, rejecting Gabon's argument based on the 1974 "Convention of Bata." A continental mediation, led by the African Union, facilitated the agreement.

This included a meeting between Presidents Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Malabo on June 4, 2025, which led to the creation of a joint expert committee. A subsequent bilateral meeting in Libreville in October 2025 fostered consensus. On February 14, 2026, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, facilitated a meeting in Addis Ababa between the two heads of state, with representatives from Angola, Burundi, and the United Nations present.

Albert Shingiro, former Burundian Minister of Foreign Affairs, was appointed AU Special Envoy to assist in the implementation. The agreement was initialed by Equatorial Guinean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Siméon Oyono Esono Angue, and the President of the Gabonese Constitutional Court, Dieudonné Aba'a Owono. This agre