Politics
ICJ orders Colombia to stop activity in Nicaraguan maritime zone
The judges in The Hague stated that Colombian activities within the Central American country’s maritime zone violated Nicaragua’s sovereign rights
April 21, 2022 7:28pm
Updated: April 22, 2022 1:04pm
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Thursday that Colombia must “immediately cease” all activity in parts of the Caribbean that are within Nicaragua’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In a 9-6 vote, the judges at the United Nation’s top court in The Hague stated that Colombian activities within the Central American country’s maritime zone violated Nicaragua’s sovereign rights “by interfering with fishing and marine scientific research activities” of Nicaraguan vessels.
The ruling put an end to a decades-old dispute between the two countries over their maritime borders.
In 2012, the ICJ also reduced the expanse of sea belonging to Colombia, increasing Nicaragua’s continental shelf and EEZ. The new sea borders gave Nicaragua fishing rights and access to oil and gas deposits in that area.
After that ruling, Colombia said it would not recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction on border disputes, according to Al Jazeera. In 2013, Nicaragua filed a lawsuit accusing Colombia of violating its sovereignty in the Caribbean.
Nicaragua also claimed that Colombia’s navy dissuaded vessels with Nicaraguan fishing permits from navigating in the region. Colombia denied these accusations, saying they were patrolling the area to fight against drug trafficking and preserve a marine reserve.
The new ruling also orders Colombia to amend a 2013 presidential decree establishing a zone around Colombian islands in the disputed region, according to Reuters.
"We are satisfied with today's ruling," said Carlos Arrieta Padilla, a representative of the Colombian government, adding that not all of Managua’s requests were granted.
“They limited some of its functions in the sense that they cannot undertake environmental control activities, which is a shame because we do have the ability to do that," Arrieta Padilla added. "But nevertheless, the court maintained the possibility of the Colombian navy being there and doing operations in the fight against organized crime in the area.”
