A 4 November announcement by the state Bahrain News Agency (BNA) has thrown into doubt the kingdom’s continued acceptance of its boundaries with Qatar. The neighbour’s long-standing territorial dispute that had marred their mutual relations for much of the 20th century had seemingly been resolved by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March 2001. Its ruling divided disputed territories between the two countries – awarding the Hawar Islands to Bahrain, while Qatar got the neighbouring Janan Island and the fort and ruined town of Zubara – and set out a maritime boundary.
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