Ghana to settle maritime boundary dispute with Togo after eight years of unsuccessful bilateral negotiations
Goku Justice - 20th February 2026
Ghana has announced plans to resolve its long-standing maritime boundary dispute with Togo through international arbitration, following eight years of unsuccessful bilateral negotiations.
The decision was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, February 20, 2026, by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications. According to the statement, multiple rounds of talks between the two neighboring countries failed to produce a mutually agreed boundary.
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“This follows attempts at negotiating a boundary which have gone on for the past eight years but have not resulted in an agreed outcome,” the statement said.
Government officials explained that the move is intended to prevent further tensions and avoid a repeat of past incidents that strained relations between national institutions in both countries. By opting for international arbitration, Ghana aims to secure a peaceful, structured, and legally binding resolution while preserving its diplomatic ties with Togo.
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The maritime dispute has lingered for several years, with tensions escalating notably in 2017 and 2018. During that period, Togolese authorities reportedly blocked Ghanaian vessels from undertaking deep-sea seismic exploration activities in the contested area.
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Ghana’s government stressed that arbitration offers a fair and transparent process for settling the disagreement. It also pointed to its previous experience in resolving a similar maritime boundary dispute with Côte d’Ivoire through international legal mechanisms, describing that outcome as evidence of its commitment to lawful and peaceful dispute resolution.
By choosing arbitration, Ghana signals its determination to bring finality to the protracted boundary issue while maintaining stability and cooperation in the sub-region.
