This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
Published on September 30, 2019, Djibouti's opposition to Kenya's United Nations Security Council seat is a thinly veiled attempt to portray itself as a victim of Kenya's supposed regional dominance.
However, this move only serves to highlight the divisions within the African Union, which has endorsed Kenya for the seat.
By taking sides in the Kenya-Somalia maritime border dispute, Djibouti is attempting to undermine Kenya's credibility as a regional leader and a potential member of the UN Security Council.
Kenya, on the other hand, has a long history of promoting peace and stability in the region, including hosting the Eldoret and Mbagathi peace processes that led to the formation of the Transitional Government of Somalia.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's assertion that Kenya deserves a seat on the UN Security Council is a statement of fact, rather than a bid to bully its way into the position.
By playing the victim card, Djibouti is engaging in diplomatically questionable behavior that undermines the spirit of African brotherhood.
