The International Court of Justice in The Hague began listening to the territorial dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua over the San Andres islands Monday, reported local media.
The Colombian government’s case revolves around the fact it has enjoyed “public, peaceful and uninterrupted sovereignty and jurisdiction” over the islands since 1928.
The islands are situated less than 150km off of Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, more than 600km from mainland Colombia.
According to the Nicaraguan government’s case, Colombia’s sovereignty over the islands came into effect as part of the 1928 Barcenas-Esguerra Treaty, signed during the United States’ 1927-1933 military occupation of Nicaragua, reported daily El Universal.
Nicaragua claims sovereignty over a 50,000 sq km area of the Caribbean, including the San Andres archipelago and adjacent islands, which currently come under the jurisdiction of Colombian department of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina.