This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
On September 27, 2019, President Mohamed Farmajo announced that Somalia would be taking its maritime dispute with Kenya to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The decision comes after Kenya sought an out-of-court settlement, which Somalia believed was not a viable solution for a long-term and peaceful resolution.
According to Farmajo, Somalia is willing to accept the court's judgment on the matter, thereby resolving the age-old differences between the two countries.
Kenya had initially expressed interest in resolving the border dispute through the African Union (AU) or the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), but the UN Peace and Security Council concluded that these organizations did not have the power to intervene in the case.
“Somalia has pledged to comply with the court's final judgment…” said President Farmajo. ” We will accept the boundary delimited by the law. As a matter of international law, the judgment will be binding to Kenya.” He added.
The final hearing of the case is set to take place in the first week of November 2019, with Kenya given an additional two months to recruit a legal defense team.
