Somalia, Kenya maritime borders case starts at ICJ

MOGADISHU , Somalia– Legal hearing between Somalia and Kenya over maritime borders has started on Monday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Netherlands, Garowe online reports.

Sea borders in the Indian Ocean between neighboring Kenya and Somalia is the bone of contention, both countries claiming sovereign rights over the area believed to have large deposit of oil and gas reserves.

Kenya has sold explorations licenses to Italian companies but Somalia challenged the move and filed law suit in 2014, at ICJ in Hague, after diplomatic talks between both countries failed to resolve the dispute.

Somalia’s caretaker President Hasan Shaikh Mahmoud spoke to the media today in Mogadishu, said that the government decided to file the law suit against Kenya following numerous attempts failed to settle the dispute.

“We held meetings with neighboring Kenya, as talks failed to materialize we sorted to resolve the disagreement in accordance with international laws,” said Mahmoud.

In the press conference, the caretaker President stressed on the importance of this law suit to Somalia, “the country will never cede its maritime territory, we are optimistic that we will win the legal process,” added Mahmoud.

Mahomoud said that the country is placing great efforts to affirm its sovereign rights over the disputed borders.

GAROWEONLINE