Somalia has reiterated its position that Kenya-Somalia maritime dispute case at ICJ in Hague should not be extended beyond 4th November.
International Court of Justice has summoned both Somalia and Kenya following a new request by the government of Kenya to delay the case for another twelve months.
Somalia dispatched the country’s deputy Prime Minister, Mahdi Mohamed Guleid to present Somalia’s decision before the court.
At the court, Mr. Guleid was accompanied by Somali Attorney General, Ahmed Ali Dahir and Somalia’s ambassador to Belgium, Ali Said Fiqi.
Guleid argued the two-month extension should have been sufficient for Kenya to be ready.
Somalia took the case of a maritime border dispute with Kenya before the court five years ago. Our Kenyan brothers last time requested for two months to recruit a new legal team, but we have a clear position that we need the hearing to start on 4th November,” he said.
The Deputy PM said Somalia has prepared its team to part the hearing of the maritime dispute scheduled next month.
Kenya argued that it needs one year to a new legal team to represent it at ICJ in court.
Kenya’s counsel in the initial stages of the case was Prof Payam Akhavan from the US, Prof Vaughan Lowe QC from the UK, Prof Alan Boyle (British), Prof Mathias Forteau (French), Mr. Karim Khan (British) and Ms. Amy Sanders (British).
Somalia has also insisted the case should resolve at the court though Kenya had severally called for resolving the dispute in dialogue.
Kenya and Somalia had a long protracted dispute over a maritime boundary.
In 2014 Somalia sued Kenya at the International Court of Justice.
Late 2017, Somalia won its first bid to resolve a case over a maritime dispute before the ICJ.
Judges at the ICJ dismissed claims fronted by Kenya’s lawyers that there exists an alternative method of resolving the matter.
Somalia wants the court to demarcate the maritime boundary, and to determine the exact geographical coordinates as an extension of its southern borders.
