Burkina Faso–Niger Frontier Dispute case
The Burkina Faso-Niger frontier dispute case (2013) was a public international law case with the International Court of Justice served by the West African states of Burkina Faso and Niger, which share a border. Both nations submitted a border dispute to the Court in 2010. The Court delivered its judgment in 2013, and the parties implemented it in 2015 and 2016.[1]
Facts
Both nations submitted the dispute to The Hague on 20 July 2010.
Judgment
The International Court of Justice delivered its Judgment on 16 April 2013. It held that the course of the boundary between the two countries lies in the sector from the astronomic marker of Tong-Tong to the beginning of the Botou bend. It also paid regard to the Parties’ agreement on the results of the work of the Joint Technical Commission on demarcation of the Burkina Faso-Niger boundary at the sector from the heights of N’Gouma to the astronomic marker of Tong-Tong and the sector from the beginning of the Botou bend to the River Mekrou.
Under the judgment, 303 square miles (786 sq km) were awarded to Burkina Faso and 107 square miles (277 sq km) to Niger. In 2015, the two nations agreed to exchange 18 towns over the following year (Burkina Faso to gain 14, Niger to gain four).[2]
Notes
- Press Release No 2010/24 Archived 2012-04-29 at the Wayback Machine International Court of Justice.
- Burkina Faso and Niger exchange 18 towns to settle border dispute, The Guardian (May 8, 2015).