The World Court has sold the idea to both sides in a border dispute that they have both come out on top.

By Richard Walker

Costa Rica had accused Nicaragua of a border incursion by sending troops and engineers across its border to dredge a river.

But the International Court of Justice, or World Court, went a long way to solving the dispute by ruling on Tuesday that both countries must keep their troops away from the disputed region around the San Juan River.

Two thumbs up

Nicaraguan Vice president Jaime Morales said, "We're celebrating the resolution", while Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla claimed to have "obtained a ... justified victory".

Neither side has the appetite for battle and both see the role of the ICJ as bringing a fair resolution to the issue.

Neither side disputes the need to dredge the river - it will enable boats to sail along it all year round.

Nicaraguan Ambassador Carlos Arguello says "Costa Rica knows perfectly well that this is a minor dredging. If Nicaragua succeeds in achieving that small improvement in the depth of the river, Costa Rica will also benefit."

Comedy of error

Understanding why the two countries have entered into this dispute is not easy to grasp.
 

It began last month when the director of the dredging project relied on a Google Maps error, itself based on flawed US State Department information, to send troops to the area.
Despite  the strange roots of the issue, Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla told the International Justice Desk,

"I think we all should have reason to celebrate, the whole world should have reason to celebrate, when a conflict of these dimensions can be resolved by law and not by arms."

Potential conflict between armies (even though Costa Rica doesn't have one) seems to have been replaced by courtroom negotiation.

Although neither country can afford a war, they cannot afford the millions of dollars needed to bring legal cases to the ICJ either.

"When we resolve the political issues in this case, Costa Rican people will think: What are we doing? Why are we wasting millions on this case?", asks Nicaragua's Carlos Arguello.

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Earlier IJT editions:

• International Justice Tribune, 123 (2 March 2011)
• International Justice Tribune, 122 (16 February 2011)
• International Justice Tribune, 121 (2 February 2011)
• International Justice Tribune, 120 (19 January 2011)
• International Justice Tribune, 119 (14 December 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 118 (1 December 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 117 (17 November 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 116 (2 November 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 115 (20 October 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 114 (4 October 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 113 (21 September)
• International Justice Tribune, 112 (8 September 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 111 (25 August 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 110 (14 July 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 109 (30 June 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 108 (16 June 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 107 (2 June 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 106 (19 May 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 105 (5 May 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 104 (21 April 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 103 (7 April 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 102 (24 March 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 101 (10 March 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 100 (24 February 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 99 (10 February 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 98 (27 January 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 97 (13 January 2010)
• International Justice Tribune, 96 (23 December 2009)
• International Justice Tribune, 95 (9 December 2009)
• International Justice Tribune, 94 (25 November 2009)
• International Justice Tribune, 93 (11 November 2009)
• International Justice Tribune, 92 (28 October 2009)
• International Justice Tribune, 91 (14 October 2009)
• International Justice Tribune, 90 (30 September 2009)
• International Justice Tribune, 89 (16 September 2009)