The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is to deliver its verdict on the disputed maritime border between Somalia and Kenya.
Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guleid said the verdict is set to be delivered on 12th October 2021.
"I am pleased to announce that the ICJ-CIJ will render judgment of the case between Somalia and Kenya on Tuesday 12 October 2021 at the Peace Palace," Deputy Prime Minister Guleid said.
The dispute between the two East African countries stems from a disagreement over which direction their border extends into the Indian Ocean.
The verdict will affect more than 100,000 sq Km of water in the Indian Ocean, the disputed area said to be rich in oil and gas.
Somalia argues its maritime boundary should run in the same direction as the south-easterly path of the country's land border. In contrast, Kenya claims the border should take a roughly 45-degree turn at the shoreline and run in a latitudinal line which would give Kenya access to a larger share of the maritime area.
The case was first brough to the ICJ back in 2014 by Somalia and has been postponed several times, however the case was eventually heard by the ICJ on 15 March 2021.
Sources:
https://allafrica.com/stories/202109210750.html
https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/icj-announces-date-for-verdict-on-kenya-somalia-maritime-border-dispute
https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/161
Image:The Peace Palace in The Hague, home of the International Court of Justice. Copyright IBRU
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