ICC has 20 African border dispute cases

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:13:55 +0000

By KALOBWE BWALYA

THERE are about 20 border dispute cases before the International Court of Justice (ICC) at The Hague, the African Union (AU) has disclosed.

AU head of conflict prevention and early warning division Ambassador Frederick Gateretse Ngoga said apart from those cases his department was dealing with, over 100 other cases involved chiefdoms and governments.

According to the secretary for press in Ethiopia In’utu Mwanza, Mr Ngoga said most border cases recorded were in West, East and Central Africa.

Mr Ngoga said Southern Africa did not have many border disputes except for the one between Zambia and Zimbabwe regarding boundaries on water bodies.

He said the AU has a team of experts ready to resolve the problem of boundaries on the Zambezi River and Lake Kariba, adding that putting boundaries on water bodies was an expensive venture.

And Zambia’s ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta expressed concern at the continued boundary disputes on the Zambezi River and Lake Kariba between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Ms Sikaneta said Zambians had lost lives following boundary disputes between Lusaka and Harare.

“Most of these have been innocent fishermen who are shot apparently for straying into Zimbabwean waters unknowingly,’’ said Ms Sikaneta.

She was however happy that the AU had offered to help resolve the disputes on water bodies.

Ms Sikaneta also said the African Border Day should be used as an opportunity to find amicable ways of resolving border disputes, anywhere on the continent.