Gabon–Equatorial Guinea border dispute

On 28 July 2026 Gabon and Equatorial Guinea signed a General Competence Agreement in Addis Ababa, formally implementing the International Court of Justice’s 19 May 2025 judgment on their long‑standing land, maritime and island disputes. The signing was presented as a peaceful, institutional resolution and coincided with Gabon’s launch of a domestic mission to adapt the African Union’s Agenda 2063 to national development plans.

Two days later, on 30 July 2026 Gabon announced it was suspending participation in the bilateral talks that were meant to operationalise the same agreement. Libreville’s foreign ministry argued that Equatorial Guinea had misrepresented the deal as conceding territory, particularly regarding the contested Mbanié island and surrounding waters. The suspension highlighted ongoing tensions over the interpretation and public communication of the ICJ ruling, despite the formal agreement signed earlier in the week.