The International Court of Justice largely ruled in favor of Somalia on Tuesday in a long-running dispute with Kenya over the maritime boundary between the two countries. So Somalia has designated an area potentially rich in raw materials.
The conflict between the two African countries mainly revolves around a triangular area of about 100,000 square kilometers in the Indian Ocean, an area rich in fish and may also contain large deposits of oil and gas. Somalia went to the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 2014 to clarify the exact maritime boundaries.
Kenya has found that the maritime boundary runs parallel to the latitude. But Somalia is different. Mogadishu stated that the line should be drawn to the southeast in line with the national border. The judges have now followed this last line of reasoning.
Somalia has also demanded compensation, as Kenya has already granted licenses to foreign companies to exploit the area. But this claim was rejected.
No appeal possible
There is no appeal against the decision of the International Court of Justice. Kenya had said earlier that it would not recognize the ruling. In March, the East African country boycotted public hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Nairobi also warned of serious security repercussions in the region.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Tuesday that he would reject the International Court of Justice’s ruling. “The Kenyan government completely rejects the ruling and does not recognize it,” Kenyatta said.
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