UN Court to rule on Somalia-Kenya maritime case today

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The rightful owner of the triangular piece of territory t the Indian Ocean which has been a subject of litigation and diplomatic spats between Kenya and Somalia will be known today.

The International Court of Justice is expected to deliver the verdict of the 7-year maritime case as from 4 pm local time. Somalia dispatched its delegation to the Hague based court earlier in the week as the Horn of Africa nation remains upbeat the UN court will rule in its favour.

Kenya has since dismissed the expected outcome as a product of a ‘flawed judicial process’ as it set the ground for rejection of a negative verdict. The East African nation also announced it had withdrawn from the ICJ jurisdiction though the move will not have any impact on the case.

In Mogadishu, the 15 member Council of Presidential Candidates has reportedly indicated its members will be converging at Jazeera Hotel to follow the live proceedings of the Court. Outgoing President Mohamed Farmaajo had earlier invited some of the presidential candidates to join him for the ‘victory celebrations’ but most of them are said to have declined.

In Nairobi, President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to address the UN Security Council later in the day upon which he will be expected to speak about the maritime case. Kenya assumed the presidency of the Security Council last week.