The government of Somalia has clearly rejected a recent statement by the President of Kenya, William Ruto, regarding the existence of dialogue between the two governments regarding the maritime dispute.
In October 2021, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest body of the U.N., issued a decision ending the maritime dispute, awarding Somalia the disputed maritime territory. The dispute was based on establishing a maritime boundary in a part of the Indian Ocean that is known to have large reserves of oil and gas.
“There is no negotiation between Somalia and Kenya. The maritime dispute has ended in court, and there is no going back. That case was closed and ended well.” Minister of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia.” Ali Omar Balcad said this while speaking at the Parliament meeting.
The Somali government described the decision of the ICJ court as a victory as a result of its unceasing efforts to resolve the dispute between Kenya and Somalia.
However, Kenyan President William Ruto recently said that talks are underway, with the mediation of Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.
The government of Somalia, which was responding to President Ruto’s statement, denied that there are talks with Kenya on the maritime border that the ICJ court has made a decision on.
Although the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued an official decision on the maritime dispute between Somalia and Kenya, Somalia is still concerned about the true intentions of President Geelle. There are reports indicating that President Geelle is actively advocating for the restoration of talks and negotiations between the two countries in the case of the sea.
