Somali delegates already in Hague ahead of ICJ ruling on maritime dispute with Kenya

By , K24 Digital
On Mon, 11 Oct, 2021 22:59 | < 1 min read
Somali delegates led by Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohammed Gulaid at the Hague ahead of the ruling. PHOTO/COURTESY

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to make a ruling on the longstanding maritime dispute between Kenya and Somalia on Tuesday, October 12.

This comes even as Kenya announced that they will not recognise the ruling which will be issued by ICJ. Kenya insists that the disputed piece of land belongs to her.

The matter has been dragging in court since 2014.

Somali’s Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohammed Gulaid is amongst leaders from the country who are eagerly waiting for the ruling.

Already, Gulaid, on Saturday, October 10 led a delegation of Somali nationals to the Hague to be in court when the ruling will be made.

“A delegation arrived in the Hague to witness the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which will announce the verdict on the maritime dispute between Somalia and Kenya,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

Somalia has severally turned down requests and pressure from Kenya to settle the matter diplomatically.

The stretch in dispute is 30,000 square nautical miles of territory located within the Indian Ocean which is known to be rich with oil and gas deposits. It is also believed to be rich in fish.

Somalia claims that its southern boundary should run South-East as an extension of the land border while Kenya says that Somalia’s border should take a 45-degree turn at the shoreline and run in a latitudinal line.

Nairobi says that ICJ was not in a position to make a fair ruling on the matter while Somalia said that it had hope in the court.

It is worth noting that Kenya boycotted the hearings in March after accusing ICJ of unfairness especially on the court’s unwillingness to delay the proceedings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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