The government of Nicaragua is arming to protect the border with Colombia, after the ruling by the the International Court of Justice in The Hague in its favour.
On November 19, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in Colombia’s favour on a long-standing dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua over a group of contested islands in the Caribbean. However the court also redrew the maritime border between the two countries, handing Nicaragua more sea territory, reported the BBC. Nicaragua’s extended rights over the Caribbean will give it more access to fishing and to potential natural resources such as oil or gas.
Reports are that Nicaragua is acquiring weapons to enfore the ruling and ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Court decision.
Caracol News in Colombia reports that Nicaragua is buying four ships valued at US$45 million dollars, along with munitions and multi-barreled tybes capabale of launching guided missiles.
Nicaraguan army commander, General Julio César Avilés, confirmed to the media that his country in seach of weapons.
“We visited different factories or shipyards that manufacture naval assets, including the Russian Federation, for the type of media that we need,” he told the press.
“Nicaraguans can rest safely as we are watching our seas, these large seas that we have now reclaimed. We have not stopped going there, we have not stopped flying over the area and have not stopped to navigating with our naval assets, ” he added.
Nicaragua and Colombia share a maritime border and have been locked into a territorial dispute over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank.
With respect to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca, the ICJ referred to the line determined by the 1900 Honduras-Nicaragua Mixed Boundary Commission and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required.
Nicaragua also has a maritime boundary dispute with Honduras in the Caribbean Sea and a boundary dispute over the Rio San Juan with Costa Rica.
Source: QNicaragua
