This archive report was first published on 15 November 2019.
Published on November 15, 2019
Kenya and Somalia are on the cusp of striking a deal over their disputed maritime border, which is currently before the International Court of Justice.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Somali counterpart Mohamed Farmajo met on the sidelines of the ICPD25 summit in Nairobi, where they agreed to normalize bilateral relations.
The two leaders agreed to restore the issuance of travel visas on arrival for citizens of both nations, aimed at enhancing free and unhindered movement of people and commerce between Kenya and Somalia.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, who was present during the meeting, said the two leaders discussed the relations between the two countries.
The meeting, which took place at a Nairobi hotel, comes after a previous meeting in September at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which was mediated by African Union chairman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
According to Villa Somalia, President Farmajo 'pointed out' to President Kenyatta why the maritime dispute should not affect relations.
Dr. Juma stated that the two principals reaffirmed the invaluable relations between Kenya and Somalia as neighbors and agreed to bring normality to their bilateral relations.
