Benin and Niger have submitted their decade-old dispute over the common border to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the court reported on Friday.
The two countries jointly notified the court registry that the submission resulted from an agreement they reached on 15 June 2001 in Cotonou.
The West African countries have requested the ICJ to determine their exact boundary in the River Niger, specify which of them owns each of the islands in the river particularly Lete Island, and determine the boundary in the River Mekrou, ICJ said. Both countries claim ownership of Lete island.
Ministers from the two countries ratified the Cotonou agreement on 11 April in Niger’s capital, Niamey, paving the way for the submissions to ICJ.
News agencies quoted the Foreign Ministers of Benin and Niger, Antoine Kolawale Idji and Aissatou Mindaoudou, as saying both countries would abide by the verdict of the ICJ.
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