This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
On October 18, 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) approved Kenya's request to delay the public hearing of its maritime boundary case with Somalia, which was initially set for September 9-13, 2019.
Kenya had asked for a delay by up to a year, citing the need to reconstitute a legal team. However, the ICJ pushed the public hearings to November 4-8, 2019, before ultimately deciding to delay the case until June 8, 2020.
Kenya's Attorney General had appealed the decision, arguing that the period granted was insufficient and requesting a year to prepare. The ICJ, however, maintained that June 2020 was the final decision and that there would be no further rescheduling.
The delay could help to lower tensions between the two countries, which had recently reached a near-diplomatic cut-off as the hearing date approached.
The case, which was filed by Somalia in 2014, seeks to redraw the sea boundary between the two countries from the current straight line to a diagonal flow. The disputed area is approximately 100,000 square kilometers and is believed to contain hydrocarbons.
