The International Court of Justice is set to make a ruling on the longstanding maritime dispute between Kenya and Somalia, a development that is expected to have far-reaching ramifications on the use of Indian Ocean waters claimed by the two nations.
According to Maritime Executive, Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Gulaid revealed that the ICJ has set an October date for determination of the case, which has been a source of diplomatic tensions between Nairobi and Mogadishu since it was filed in 2014.
“I am pleased to announce that the ICJ will render judgment of the case between Somalia v. Kenya on Tuesday 12 October, 2021 at the Peace Palace,” said Gulaid on his Twitter account.
The ruling is eagerly awaited, particularly by Somalia, which has repeatedly rejected pressure from Kenya and African Union organs for a diplomatic resolution to the protracted dispute.
The East African neighbours are disputing 30,000 square nautical miles of territory in the Indian Ocean, with prospects of vast oil and gas deposits. The area is also a source of livelihood for Kenyan fishermen.
The dispute stems from conflicting interpretations of how boundaries should extend into the Indian Ocean.
While Somalia claims that its southern boundary should run south-east as an extension of the land border, Kenya’s contends that Somalia’s border should take a roughly 45-degree turn at the shoreline and run in a latitudinal line.
Source: Punch
