This archive report was first published on 28 September 2019.
Kenya's push for a diplomatic solution to the maritime boundary dispute with Somalia has hit a snag, with Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo declaring that there is no room for dialogue.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, President Farmajo stated that the dispute would not be on the table, effectively shutting the door on Kenya's efforts to have the African Union broker negotiations.
Public hearings on the case filed by Somalia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are set to run from November 4-8, with the court expected to determine the boundary between the two countries.
The dispute centers on a 100,000km2 area thought to be rich in natural gas, with Somalia seeking to redraw the border from its current easterly flow to follow the extension of the land border south of Kiunga.
Kenya, through President Uhuru Kenyatta and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, has been on a diplomatic charm offensive on the continent and beyond, lobbying for support for its position on the maritime boundary and seeking a seat on the UN Security Council.
Despite earlier hopes of a diplomatic solution, the talks between the two countries have completely collapsed, with President Farmajo dismissing the African Union as a body with no capacity to intervene in the case before the court.
President Kenyatta had emphasized the importance of dialogue in finding a solution, stating that it was the best and amicable way to bring the two countries together.
