The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague Thursday ruled that Colombia must stop interfering and trying to control fishing activities and maritime research in parts of the Western Caribbean off the coast of Nicaragua.

This decision ends a long conflict between Nicaragua and Colombia that began in 2012. At that time, the ICJ issued a judgment in which it recognized the sovereignty of Colombia over a group of small islands in the western Caribbean. However, it recognized the jurisdiction of Nicaragua in the surrounding waters. This judgment was not entirely clear to the countries, since Colombia continued to intervene in the waters that were under the jurisdiction of Nicaragua.

Thus, in 2013 Nicaragua filed a complaint with the court, alleging that Colombia was interfering with its fishing and scientific activities in waters under its jurisdiction. Colombia argued that this intervention was necessary to materialize its commitment to fight drug trafficking and environmental protection of waters.

On Thursday, the ICJ ruled that these waters are within the exclusive economic zone of Nicaragua. Therefore, they are within the jurisdiction of Nicaragua and the intervention of another state was not allowed.

The judgment of the ICJ was oriented in two directions. The first stated that Colombia violated the sovereign and jurisdictional rights of Nicaragua, while the second stated that Colombia must immediately cease its conduct.