This archive report was first published on 20 May 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the International Court of Justice to delay the Kenya-Somalia maritime border case for the fourth time, with the new hearing set to take place in March 2021.
According to the court's schedule, the Somali government's debate will be heard from 15th-18th March 2021, while Kenya's case will be heard on the 17th to 19th of March 2021.
The hearing will feature only oral arguments, as both parties had earlier presented their evidence to the court.
The case, which was lodged by Somalia in August 2014, concerns the maritime border between Kenya and Somalia, including 200 nautical miles of the continental shelf in line with international laws.
While Somalia argues that the maritime border should continue along the line of the land border, Kenya insists that the border runs along the parallel latitude, southeast of Kiunga.
On 20th October 2019, the UN court had pushed the oral proceeding to 8th June 2020, granting Kenya time to prepare its legal team.
However, the Kenyan government requested a delay of the case, citing its inability to gather funds and resources for the case due to the pandemic, as reported by Somali Affairs.
