Somali President Mohamed Farmajo has said Somalia is not ready for talks to resolve the maritime dispute with the neighbouring Kenya.
Addressing UN General Assembly on Thursday in New York, President Farmajo underscored that the maritime dispute between Somalia and Kenya has long been existing as several attempts to iron out the border dispute failed.
“Somalia and Kenya neighbours on the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa, who enjoy peaceful and friendly relations, we owe much to Kenya for their state fast support for Somalia’s people over the years, while our role relations are excellent, our maritime boundaries have been delimited and is the subject of the disagreement between our two sister states,” he told the assembly. “Bilateral negotiation did not an agreement in the past, in order to obtain a peaceful and inequitable settlement in 2014.”
The president told the international leaders that he and President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta have agreed to let the ICJ resolve the maritime dispute.
“We agreed the matter will be resolved by the International Court of Justice. Somalia is committed to maintaining a good relationship with Kenya.
He said Somali community continues to invest in the country of Kenya which indeed contributes to its growth and prosperity.
The Hague-based ICJ is set to enter the full hearing of the case between November 4 and 8.