Somalia and Kenya discuss maritime dispute

Visits: 1017
(Rating 0.0/5 Stars) Total Votes: 0
0 0
Share via Social Media

Somalia and Kenya discuss maritime dispute

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) - Somali and Kenyan authorities will discuss maritime border dispute ahead of International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict on the dispute case between the countries.

Share

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) - Somali and Kenyan authorities will discuss maritime border dispute ahead of International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict on the dispute case between the countries.

Kenyan foreign minister, Raychelle Omamo has arrived in Mogadishu where she was welcomed by Somali foreign Minister, Mohamed Abdirisack.

According to sources quoted by Kenyan local media, Omamo and other Kenyan officials were dispatched to discussed with Somali leaders over the relations and border dispute between the countries.

"The agenda is the border dispute that is currently at the International Court of Justice. The Honourable minister [CS] will also meet our Foreign minister, the PM and His Excellency the President,” A source quoted by The Star based in Nairobi said.

Somali government did not comment the motive behind the visit of Kenyan officials.

The visit by Omamo which is Omamo’s maiden trip to the horn of Africa nation ever since assumed the office after three months after horn of Africa nation restored its diplomatic ties with East African nation in May.

Mogadishu severed ties with Nairobi again on December 15, 2020, over claims of interference with its domestic politics, which Kenya said were unfounded.

In June, Kenya lifted the ban on flights to and from the country after a month, "in the hope that full normalisation of bilateral relations will occur”.

Somalia and Kenya are seeking a resolution on the ownership of a 150,000 square-kilometer (58,000 square-mile) area off their Indian Ocean coastline, which both countries want to explore for oil, gas and fish.

In August 2014, Somalia formally asked the ICJ "to determine, on the basis of international law, the complete course of the single maritime boundary dividing all the maritime areas appertaining to Somalia and to Kenya in the Indian Ocean”.

The court has concluded the hearing of the case early this year and is expected announce its ruling in the forthcoming months.

The court verdict is final and not subject to appeal.