Somalia Deputy Prime Minister Heads to Hague to attend Kenya/Somalia Maritime Boarder Case

Mahdi Guiled, the Deputy Prime minister of Somalia and a delegation have traveled to the Hague ahead of the hearing proceedings on the Maritime dispute between Somalia and Kenya.

Addressing the media before his departure, he promised that his team of legal advisors will defend and struggle for the rights of Somalia as well as its people. Somalia and Kenya are seeking a resolution on the ownership of around a 150,000 square-kilometer (58,000 square-mile) area off their Indian Ocean coastline, which both countries want to explore for oil, gas and fish.

The International Court of Justice announced it will start hearing the maritime dispute between Somalia and Kenya on 15th March. Though The ICJ has ceased holding physical hearings amid the pandemic, it is conducting its hearings virtually, utilising the now popular Zoom platform.

The court said as already explained to the two parties during a technical meeting on Jan 26, there is a possibility for a limited number of representatives of the parties to appear in person in the Great Hall of Justice.

Recently, The International Court of Justice rejected Kenya’s request to have its maritime dispute with Somalia postponed for a 4th time. Though Kenya had expressed its extreme discomfort the court did not consider its request.