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East Africa: International Court of Justice Draws the Line in Kenya and Somalia's Troubled Waters
ISS, 14 October 2021
Despite unease on both sides, each country could gain from the ruling if they were willing to restore relations. Read more »
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Kenya: How Kenya Walked Into a Trap in Border Row With Somalia
Nation, 13 October 2021
A full in tray awaited the Jubilee government when President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto assumed office on April 9, 2013. Read more »
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East Africa: Somalia Welcomes International Court Decision On Kenya Maritime Dispute
VOA, 13 October 2021
Somalia has welcomed the International Court of Justice decision giving it the right to control much of the 100,000 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean following a dispute with… Read more »
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East Africa: International Court Awards Somalia the Bulk of Ocean Territory Also Claimed By Kenya
VOA, 12 October 2021
The International Court of Justice has drawn a maritime boundary between Kenya and Somalia after the countries failed for years to reach agreement on the issue. Read more »
Ocean Border Row - International Court Rules in Somalia's Favour
The International Court of Justice has drawn a maritime boundary between Kenya and Somalia after the countries failed for years to reach agreement on the issue, Voice of America reports. The court's October 12, 2021 ruling is seen as favourable to Somalia. The ruling concerns about 100,000 square kilometres of Indian Ocean waters off the east coast of Kenya and Somalia.
The area, believed to hold oil and natural gas deposits, has been a source of dispute between the East African neighbours for years.
The court awarded Somalia the bulk of the territory, while adjusting the border slightly northward to address Kenya's security and economic interests. The ICJ rejected one of Kenya's key arguments, that Somalia had previously agreed to a boundary, saying there was no proof of that in the documents Kenyan lawyers supplied to the court. The Hague-based court also rejected Somalia's demand for compensation for Kenya's past economic activity in the area.
Somalia filed a complaint against Kenya in the International Court of Justice in 2014, saying it had exhausted all other avenues of finding a solution to the dispute.
It remains to be seen if the ruling will have a real-world impact, as Kenya boycotted the hearing and said it would not respect the ICJ verdict.
InFocus
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East African neighbours Kenya and Somalia are disputing 30,000 square nautical miles of territory in the Indian Ocean, which has prospects of vast oil and gas deposits. The area is ... Read more »
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Nairobi and Mogadishu have agreed to have their respective ambassadors return to duty, ending six months of frosty relations. But they must now move to address issues largely left ... Read more »
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Former Ghanaian President John Mahama has quit his role as the African Union High Representative to Somalia, more than a week after Mogadishu rejected his deployment, citing bias. ... Read more »
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Somalia says it has restored diplomatic relations with Kenya, following talks between leaders of the neighbouring countries, mediated by Qatar. This follows a series of back ... Read more »
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Kenya will no longer participate in the international maritime boundary dispute case with Somalia in protest at perceived bias and unwillingness of the court to accommodate ... Read more »
