By Dawan Africa - Reporter
Mogadishu(Mogadishu)-The Federal Government of Somalia has firmly dismissed any possibility of engaging in a dialogue with Kenya regarding the maritime dispute. This comes in response to statements made by Kenyan President William Ruto in Djibouti.
The Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee has on Saturday called officials from Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to appear before the committee for questioning about the maritime issue.
During the session, Member of Parliament Ali Said Fiqi, a former ambassador of the European Union and committee member, raised concerns about the claims of ongoing talks between Somalia and Kenya in Djibouti, purportedly aimed at resolving the maritime dispute.
However, the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Bal’ad, categorically refuted these claims. He asserted that President Ruto’s statement caught them by surprise and clarified that there is no ongoing dialogue between the two countries on the maritime issue, and the Djibouti government has not proposed any such mediation.
“Ruto’s statement in Djibouti caught everyone by surprise, and there is no mediation by any other government. This issue has already been resolved in the court. Therefore, there is no room for negotiations as President Hassan Sheikh refused to negotiate on this matter before taking it to court,” stated Minister Ali Bal’ad.
The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting Somalia’s maritime boundary and stated that the country will strictly adhere to the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Furthermore, Minister Bal’ad highlighted President Hassan’s essential role in taking the dispute to the ICJ for resolution, making it difficult for the government to consider negotiations after the court’s decision was reached.
In 2021, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Somalia should have control over the majority of the triangular area in the Indian Ocean, a region that Kenya had claimed sovereignty over since 1979. However, Kenya rejected the ICJ’s decision, expressing concerns about its impact on the already tense relationship between the two countries in the Horn of Africa region.
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