The Outstanding Namibian Maritime Boundaries with Angola and South Africa

The main objective of this article is to give an overview of the outstanding Namibian maritime boundaries with South Africa and Angola. At present there are no disputes over these boundaries and a process of negotiation is ongoing between the governments to finalise these agreements. This process started after the independence of Namibia in 1990. However, so far, progress in the matter has been slow. Remarkably, the absence of formal agreements between these states have not deterred potential investors interested in the exploitation of the offshore natural resources (oil, gas and fisheries) in these areas. Various intergovernmental co-operation efforts have been entered into to regulate the offshore activities within these maritime areas. This article deals with the underlying issues of the delimitation process and the ongoing co-operation efforts between the countries in the absence of formal maritime delimitation agreements.