copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-21): At the arrival of the first Portuguese navigators to Gabon in 1472, portions of southern Gabon were loosely linked to the state of Loango, which in turn formed a province of the vast Kongo kingdom to the south. From the offshore islands of Sao Tome and Principe, where the Portuguese established sugar plantations, they developed trade with the mainland. From the late 1500s Dutch, French, Spanish, and English competitors also exchanged cloth, iron goods, firearms, and alcoholic beverages for hardwoods, ivory, and a few enslaved people. [...] In 1910 Gabon became one of the four colonies within the federation of French Equatorial Africa. The French delimited the frontier with the Germans in Cameroon in 1885 and with the Spanish in Río Muni, or Spanish Guinea (later Equatorial Guinea), in 1900. French occupation of the Gabon interior brought little opposition, but interference with trade and such exactions as head taxes, labour taxes for public projects, and forced labour provoked considerable resistance, as did the French policy from 1898 to 1914 of developing the economy through monopolistic concessionary companies, which devastated settlement, agricultural production, and trade.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-30): The two West African nations have been squabbling over the 30-hectare (74-acre) island of Mbanie and two smaller low-lying islets, Cocotier and Conga, since the early 1970s. Gabon argues that a later treaty signed in 1974 -- the Bata Convention -- gives it sovereignty over the islands. [...] Esono said that Gabon invaded the islands in 1972 and "has occupied them illegally ever since".
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-02-02): International disputes: UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-05): Congo is located in the central-western part of sub-Saharan Africa, along the Equator, lying between latitudes 4°N and 5°S, and longitudes 11° and 19°E. To the south and east of it is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is bounded by Gabon to the west, Cameroon and the Central African Republic to the north, and Cabinda (Angola) to the southwest. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-01): The Gabonese Republic or Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic (French: République gabonaise), is a country on the Atlantic coast of West Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west. It achieved independence from France in 1960. [...] In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The former territories all became independent in August 1960—as Chad (August 11), the Central African Republic (August 13), Republic of the Congo (August 15), and finally Gabon on August 17. [...] Equatorial Guinea and Gabon have a sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and lesser islands and need to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-03): Equatorial Guinea and Gabon face off at the ICJ over oil-rich islands of Mbanié, Cocotier and Conga [...] Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are currently presenting their case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to resolve a five-decade territorial dispute over three oil-rich islands in the Gulf of Guinea. Following hearings of Malabo, Libreville presented its arguments on October 2, focusing on a 1974 convention signed in Bata which Gabon claims. The central Africa country confirms its sovereignty over the islands of Mbanié, Cocotier, and Conga.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-06): lyrics/music: Georges Aleka DAMAS note: adopted 1960
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): Gabon is a member of the United Nations (UN) and some of its specialized and related agencies, and of the World Bank; the IMF; the African Union (AU); the Central African Customs Union/Central African Economic and Monetary Community (UDEAC/CEMAC); EU/ACP association under the Lomé Convention; the Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA); the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); the Nonaligned Movement; and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS/CEEAC). In 1995, Gabon withdrew from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), rejoining in 2016. Gabon was elected to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for January 2010 through December 2011 and held the rotating presidency in March 2010.[17] In 2022, Gabon joined the Commonwealth of Nations.[30] In 2024, ruling junta leader Brice Oligui Nguema assured American and French leaders that Gabon would be an ally of the West moving forward, as a part of his broader plan to solve the ongoing debt crisis.[31]
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2016-01-21): The longstanding dispute between the two nations regarding the Mbanié, Cocotiers and Congas islands, and common boundaries, dates back to the early 1970’s.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-13): Gabon, located on the west coast of Central Africa, shares its borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of Congo to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The country encompasses an area of approximately 267,667 km2 (103,347 mi2). [...] Gabon is a country in Central Africa. It is located in the Eastern Hemisphere. As the Equator passes through Gabon, it stretches into both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Gabon is bordered by three countries. The Republic of the Congo borders it to the east and south. Cameroon lies to the north and Equatorial Guinea to the northwest. Gabon has a coastline on the Gulf of Guinea to the west.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2011-02-25): The longstanding dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Gabon regarding the Mbanié, Cocotiers and Congas islands, and common boundaries, dates back to the early 1970’s.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-04-23): On 5 March 2021, the Press Office of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced that proceedings had been instituted in the Court by way of a Special Agreement between Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The application pleads: "The Court is requested to determine whether the legal titles, treaties and international conventions invoked by the Parties have the force of law in the relations between the Gabonese Republic and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea in so far as they concern the delimitation of their common maritime and land boundaries and sovereignty over the islands of Mbanie/Mbane, Ccoctiers/Cocoteros, and Conga." (emphasis added) [...] Equatorial Guinea and Gabon have a long-standing maritime and territorial dispute over the ownership of three islands Mbanie/Mbane, Cocotiers/Cocoteros, and Congas. The dispute has been simmering since 1972 when there was a small military skirmish on the island of Mbanie/Mbane. It remained in obscurity until the hydrocarbon fields were discovered in the surrounding waters. In 2004, the leaders of both States jointly pledged before the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to negotiate a joint development zone in order to exploit the oil reserves. In 2004, the Secretary-Generalinitialized mediation through his special representative, but it had to be suspended in 2010 because of the souring relationship between the new Gabonese government and Equatorial Guinea. In 2011, at the invitation of the new UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the negotiations were restarted, with the aim of finding a mutually acceptable solution of the border dispute between the two parties for submission to the International Court of Justice. In 2016, these mediation efforts were successfully concluded.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-02): Gabon presented its case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday, asserting sovereignty over three disputed islands in oil-rich waters, a claim contested by Equatorial Guinea. The two West African nations are locked in a territorial dispute over the 30-hectare island of Mbanie and two smaller islets, Cocotier and Conga, potentially rich in oil and gas deposits. [...] Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo, honorary president of Gabon’s constitutional court, told the ICJ, "This treaty, which we regard as being fully valid, resolves all sovereignty issues regarding the islands and border delimitation." However, Equatorial Guinea accuses Gabon of illegally occupying the islands since 1972.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-03): Following the arguments presented by Malabo on Monday, September 30th, the focus shifted to Libreville’s legal representatives on Wednesday, October 2nd. At the heart of Gabon’s defense was a 1974 convention between the two nations, which the lawyers from Equatorial Guinea disparagingly referred to as a "piece of paper." Nevertheless, Gabon believes this document serves as compelling evidence of its sovereignty over the islands of Mbanié, Cocotier, and Conga, which Equatorial Guinea contests. Throughout the hearing, Gabon argued for the significance of this contested document and urged the ICJ judges to recognize its validity, allowing both parties to negotiate from a shared basis. Gabon’s representatives explained that the convention was signed in the Equatorial Guinean city of Bata, wherein Equatorial Guinea purportedly acknowledged that the islands in question belonged to Gabon. [...] Conversely, Equatorial Guinea continues to dispute the existence of this convention, asserting that, despite the islands being geographically closer to Gabon’s coast, they became part of its territory upon independence. Malabo contends that Mbanié, Cocotier, and Conga were annexed without resistance by the Spanish colonizer nearly two centuries ago.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-02-08): Corisco Bay is a small bay on the border of two states: Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Three islands, Corisco, Elobey Grande and Elobey Chico, have long been under the control of Spain, and more recently of the independent republic of Equatorial Guinea. Further South, a tiny sand island called Mbanié is closer to Gabon than to Equatorial Guinea. Gabon claims sovereignty on the basis of proximity of the mainland, while Equatorial Guinea claims it is part of a larger group of islands that are under its own sovereignty. While of little value itself, the island is of great importance in the delimitation of territorial waters in an area that is very rich in mineral resources, particularly oil. This is the source of continual tension between the two states. As of today, Gabon administers Mbanié and maintains a military presence on the island.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-03-03): Cérémonie concernant le Compromis relatif au différend frontalier entre le Gabon et la Guinée équatoriale [...] Under the Special Agreement concluded by the Heads of States of the two countries on 15 November 2016, the International Court of Justice is requested to determine whether the legal titles, treaties, and international agreements invoked by the Parties are applicable to the relations between the Gabonese Republic and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea regarding the delimitation of their common maritime and territorial boundaries and the sovereignty over the Mbanié, Cocotiers and Conga islands.
Claim: Congas Island is a territory of Gabon (Congas Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-04-14): For lack of consensus, the two neighboring countries, members of the international community and members of continental and regional groupings have decided to bring their border dispute to international justice on the subject of the property of the Mbanié, Cocotiers and Conga islands. Competent to judge territorial disputes between the States, the ICJ was seized so that the law is said on this subject which poisons the relations between the two countries. [...] In this perspective, the ICJ awaits the brief of Equatorial Guinea on October 5, 2021 and that of Gabon on May 5, 2022. A stage considered "important" since it precedes that of the pleadings, where each party relying on arguments of right, should seek to demonstrate that these islands reputed to be rich in oil but also in fish are within its territorial jurisdiction. In its capacity as civil party, Equatorial Guinea asks to "say whether the legal titles, treaties and international conventions invoked by the Parties are lawful in the relations between the Gabonese Republic and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea with regard to the delimitation of their common maritime and land borders and sovereignty over the Mbanié, Cocotiers and Conga islands ".
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-18): Migingo is a 2,000-square-metre (0.49-acre; 0.20-hectare) island in Kenya on Lake Victoria.[3] The island was the center of a low-level territorial dispute between Kenya and Uganda and is extremely densely populated.[1] Migingo is a main source of fish to the Kenyan people. [...] Much, if not most, of the Ugandan protests revolve around the lucrative fishing rights, mostly for valuable Nile perch,[2] and Ugandan waters come within 510 metres (1,670 ft) of the island. In July 2009, the Ugandan government shifted its official position, stating that while Migingo Island was Kenyan, much of the waters near it were Ugandan.[15] The island had been claimed by the Ugandan government from 2008 until 11 May 2009 when President Museveni conceded that the island is in Kenya, but continued to point out that Kenyan fishermen were illegally fishing in Ugandan waters, which lie to the west of Migingo.[16] The Ugandan flag was lowered, Uganda withdrew its military troops, and agreed that all its police officers would leave the island.[9] A joint re-demarcation line of the border was launched on 2 June 2009 to recover and to place survey markers on land, making delineation of the boundary on the lake more precise, with results released in late July 2009 confirming that the island falls 510 metres (1,670 ft) on the Kenyan side of the line.[13][14]
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-07-03): Migingo, a tiny rock island on Lake Victoria, in Kenya, measures just 2,000-square-metre, but is officially home to over 500 residents making it the most densely populated island in the world. [...] The tiny rock island of Migingo has a very unclear history. [...] Migingo is technically located within Kenyan territory, but the Ugandans claimed that fishermen were fishing in Ugandan waters, just 500 meters off the coast of the island.
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2016-08-05): The Migingo Island Dispute between Kenya and Uganda 35 Pages Posted: 7 Aug 2016 Last revised: 5 Dec 2017 [...] Migingo is an islet in Lake Victoria, half the size of a football field. For most of its history, it had no significance. Recent adulterations to the lake’s water table in an age of climate change and to its biology in the Anthropocene age have altered the utility of the islet. It now sits atop the lake’s most fertile fishing ground and serves as a strategic off shore port straddling the water border between Uganda and Kenya. Uganda and Kenya dispute its sovereignty. Ownership of this microdot threatens bilateral peace and impacts regional security and economic development discussions. This Article contextualizes the dispute from historical and constructivist perspectives, noting pre- and post-colonial problems of border demarcation and modern limitations of international law’s main tool to quite post-colonial border disputes, the principle of uti possidetis. The rhetorical embrace of formal legal documents and solutions to border disputes is contrasted with constructivist interpretations that present alternative pathways for dispute resolution – pathways that recognize territorializing temptations of states which may preclude or hinder negotiated settlement, and prospects for condominium or shared sovereignty, which may support cooperation in the face of looming degradations to the Great Lake and its catchment area. [...] Keywords: Migingo, Scramble for Africa, colonialism, divided sovereignty, uti possidetis, effectivités, constructivism
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2018-10-22): Migingo Island: a rocky marriage between Uganda and Kenya [...] A rounded rocky outcrop covered with metallic shacks, Migingo Island rises out of the waters of Lake Victoria like an iron-plated turtle. [...] Nevertheless for over a decade Migingo has been a source of tension between Uganda and Kenya, who have been unable to decide to whom it really belongs. They were once pushed to the brink of what some said would have been Africa's "smallest war" over the island.
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-12-06): For as far back as anyone could remember, Migingo was nothing more than an uninhabited pinprick on Lake Victoria. One of three small islands in the eastern waters that make up an island chain, Migingo is barely the size of half a football pitch. It measures about one-half acre or about two thousand square metres. [...] Some evidence suggests that Migingo was the generic name of the undifferentiated island chain which only later differentiated the two other islets. These are Ugingo, which lies 660 feet east of Migingo, and Pyramid Island, 2km south of Migingo. Ugandan surveyors claim that Ugingo is actually Pyramid Island, because it is shaped like a pyramid. This finding would put Migingo inside Uganda by a matter of meters. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni was said to have suggested that Migingo was located in Kenya’s water but he claims he was misquoted. Even if this were indisputably so, much of the Kenyan catch of Nile perch may derive from illegal fishing activity in Ugandan waters.
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-02-18): Migingo Island: Africa’s ‘smallest war’ [...] Migingo island, Lake Victoria – A round rock crammed with corrugated metal shacks rises out of Lake Victoria right at the border between Kenya and Uganda. The deep waters that surround it are rich with fish. Migingo Island covers less than half a football pitch but more than 500 people, according to the Ugandan police, live in less than 2,000 square metres area.
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-08): Migingo, an island roughly the size of a football pitch on Lake Victoria, has been a site of contention between Kenya and Uganda, due to the large fish population found in the surrounding freshwaters. As populations increase, environmental degradation and pollution put pressure on the flora and fauna in the lake basin, creating a natural resource conflict time bomb. East African countries, especially Kenya and Uganda, are witnessing diminishing returns in fish and related products, leading to rising competition for the increasingly scarce natural resources. Migingo has received negative headlines, often described as a "tiny piece of rock," by Daily Nation, and "Africa's Smallest War" by Aljazeera. The fact that it has led to a protracted dispute between two neighboring East African nations — Kenya and Uganda — over its sovereign control, is something many have yet to understand. Both Kenya and Uganda claim the island is within their territorial waters and are even willing to use international jurisprudence, such as the International Criminal Court, to prove their point. With the dispute of ownership raging on, Migingo Island provides a perfect laboratory for testing locally owned multilateral mechanisms for peacebuilding, especially as African stakeholders seek to explore "the next generation of peacebuilding" on the continent. In this context, the failure to solve the Migingo dispute shows how "borderlands" or "border-waters" are sites of innovation regarding transnational community-organized approaches to peacebuilding.
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-30): Migingo Island is situated on the border between Kenya and Uganda. The island is home to around 500 people, making it an incredibly crowded place2. The population consists mainly of fishermen from Kenya and Uganda who are drawn to the island due to its proximity to rich fishing grounds teeming with Nile perch. [...] Migingo Island has been the center of a territorial dispute between Kenya and Uganda. In 2004, Ugandan marine police raised their flag on the island, leading to tensions between the two countries1. The dispute escalated in 2009 when Ugandan authorities began taxing Kenyan fishermen and offering protection against pirates2. Despite various negotiations, the ownership of the island remains a contentious issue. [...] Migingo Island is a unique and intriguing place, with its dense population, vibrant community, and ongoing territorial dispute. It stands as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of its inhabitants.
Claim: Migingo Island is a territory of Kenya (Migingo Island, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-13): The Socio-Economic Life of Fisher Communities Living on the Migingo Island of Lake Victoria Lake Victoria, Migingo, Nature, Sense of Ownership, Socio-EconomicAbstract Using a qualitative methodology and a descriptive research design, this study examined the socioeconomic conditions of Migingo Island in 1991. Theories of liberalism and power informed the study through the use of phenomenological techniques, such as focus groups, oral interviews, archived materials, and secondary data. The results show that the socioeconomic dynamics of Migingo Island are related to geopolitical issues, including the territorial conflicts between Kenya and Uganda. The fishing sector fosters economic cooperation, but it also raises challenges related to cleanliness and congestion. The study promotes inclusive approaches that involve local stakeholders in order to guarantee sustainable development in the area. Based on the findings, the study recommended that clear governance and jurisdiction agreements be established to alleviate tensions. Furthermore, investment in basic services like education and healthcare is essential for human development. Involving local stakeholders in community-driven solutions and promoting diplomatic conflict resolution could help foster stability and sustainable development. Addressing these issues is vital for the well-being of Migingo Island and its residents, while also reflecting larger geopolitical concerns.