Ghana opens defence against Ivory Coast in oil dispute

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Created on Monday, 30 March 2015 20:24

Ghana’s legal team has opened its defense at the International Tribunal of the law of the Sea (ITLOS) after Ivory Coast sued Ghana, seeking to stop Tullow Oil and its partners from exploring oil over a disputed oil block.
The dispute involves ownership of portions of the country’s second biggest oil field the Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) project.

Ghana’s legal team led by Attorney-General Marietta Brew Oppong-Appiah prayed the court to dismiss Ivory Coast’s claims since it could cost the nation over 2.2 billion dollars by 2017.
In her introductory remarks Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Marietta Brew Oppong-Appiah argued, that the claims of Ivory Coast were unfounded and unjustified.
“If the order were granted and all work had to stop, it will have a devastating impact on our oil production” she maintained  and also accused Ivory Coast of making “unfound allegations” against Ghana and Tullow Oil company.
But the Ivorian legal team disagrees. To them grave damage has already been caused to their country because of Ghana’s stance on the ownership of the block.
Cote d’Ivoire opened its case in the morning, also insisting that “grave damage” has “already been caused and continues to cause grave damage” to their country because of Ghana’s stance that the territory is theirs.
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By: Rayomond Acquah/citifmonline.com/Ghana