It is obvious that Kenya felt its maritime dispute with Somalia had no solid legal foundation. Kenya’s claim was based on deception and fraudulent misrepresentation of Somali position and documents such as the infamous MOU with Somalia, treating and submitting it as binding agreement between the two countries. Kenya claims also Somalia’s “Acquiescence” to Kenya’s unilateral claim to the disputed area of the ocean, saying falsely Somalia never refuted Kenya’s declaration on maritime boundary delimitation. Now Kenya’s withdrawal from the oral arguments before ICJ is strategic -Kenya is trying to rob legitimacy from ICJ potential ruling in favor of Somalia. Kenya decided to prolong its claim and fight on by other means, legal and non-legal. The ICJ ruling will not be the end of this dispute, I think. However, businesses and international firms will not risk their investments in parts of the Indian Ocean claimed by Kenya, after ICJ ruling in favor of Somalia. Somalia’s Team has been historically strong since the beginning of the case at ICJ.

Whatever the case, it is the people of #Somalia vs #Kenya at #ICJ, represented by their government of the day, whether it is #N_N, #M_Farmaajo or someone else. All Somalis support #M_Farmaajo in this challenging national case to repulse infringement against our sovereignty.

Just to make it clear to everybody to understand, Mahdi Guled, as a head of Somali government delegation was at ICJ to express the official view of the government and to explain to the Court the frustrations they had in negotiations with Kenya to reach at amicable solution to the boundary delimitation issue, and therefore the reasons that compelled Somalia to resort to international arbitration through the ICJ. I believe he has conveyed Somalia’s case well.

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(This article has been updated since posting).