THE HAGUE, March 5, SPA -- The U.N.'s highest courtopened hearings on Monday into a bitter maritime border disputebetween Nicaragua and Honduras, which almost triggered a warbetween the neighbouring nations in 1999, REPORTED REUTERS. Nicaragua first filed a claim with the International Courtof Justice (ICJ) in 1999, asking the court to determine theirmutual border in the Caribbean Sea which it argues has neverbeen established, while Honduras claims it was set by the Kingof Spain in 1906 and upheld by the World Court in 1960. The disputed territory offers rich fishing waters andpotential oil and natural gas reserves. Nicaragua maintains that its maritime border extends to 17degrees North latitude, while Honduras claims its maritimeborder begins at 15 degrees North latitude. "Nicaragua has consistently maintained the position that itsmaritime Caribbean border with Honduras has not been defined,"said Carlos Jose Gomez, representing Nicaragua at the court. "The fact is that Honduras has fabricated a non-existenttraditional line," he added. Tensions have frequently flared between Nicaragua andHonduras, who were foes for much of the 1980s when the UnitedStates beefed up Honduras' military and air force and used itsmain Central American ally as a base for the Contra rebels itfunded to fight Nicaragua's Marxist government. After Nicaragua filed the claim with the ICJ both countriesbuilt up troops along their land border and sent vessels to thedisputed waters, although they later agreed to establish a zoneof military exclusion pending the court's decision. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/430319