Somali Federal Government clarifies its position on territorial waters

[Chimera]

In its weekly meeting the council of ministers issued the following statement on the issue of Somali territorial waters:

 

1. The government reiterates its support for the Transitional Federal Government parliament’s decision of 1 August 2009 calling “null and void” the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the TFG Minister of International Cooperation and Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs signed in Nairobi on 7 April 2009.

 

2. On 12 March 2010, the UN stated that the 2009 MOU was to be considered “non-actionable” because it had been rejected by the Somali parliament.

 

3.

The government’s position is Somali Law No. 37 on the Territorial Sea and Ports, signed on 10 September 1972, which defines Somali territorial sea as 200 nautical miles and continental shelf. On 24th July 1989 Somali ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

 

4. The Federal Government of Somalia does not consider it appropriate to open new discussions on maritime demarcation or limitations on the continental shelf with any parties.

 

5. The government is committed to strong bilateral relations with Kenya and looks forward to working with the government of President Kenyatta on a number of issues, including the safe repatriation of Somali refugees in Kenya and improving border security for the benefit of both countries.

LINK

What was the point of spreading all those lies about the Federal government selling off Somalia's waters?

[Marksman]

Thanks Chimera. Original letter here. This government is not letting it get bullied by Kenya. 200 nautical miles full of oil, gas, fishery, coral. No questions about its sovereignty.

 

I just looked at Kenya's coast. It looks so small compared with Somalia.

[Chimera]

Marksman, true that brother, the FG's capacity is growing with each day, which is good news for the likes of us who want to get past this petty nonsense and unto infrastructural development and societal advancement.

 

Apophis, hahaha, but you are consistent sxb, I give you that, keep it up.

[Tallaabo]

What can the FG do if Kenya starts drilling in those disputed waters? I guess not much.

[Somalia]

Chimera;959556 wrote:

4.

The Federal Government of Somalia does not consider it appropriate to open new discussions on maritime demarcation or limitations on the continental shelf with any parties.

What was the point of spreading all those lies about the Federal government selling off Somalia's waters?

NEW MOU

 

FULL Document:

 

http://somaliatalk.com/badda/mou_again_2013.html

[Chimera]

Tallaabo;959588 wrote:

What can the FG do if Kenya starts drilling in those disputed waters? I guess not much.

LOL@ Kenya drilling anything, you mean multinational companies? It will never happen, the FG has legal documents recognized by the UN on its side, and that's a huge roadblock considering no global company was willing to drill in the Bay of Bengal despite being awarded rights by India at the expense of Bangladesh for that very same reason. Secondly, the prospect of commercial discoveries in Somalia are much higher than in Kenya, hence any company that accepts blocks in the Somali basin at the behest of Kenya would be banned from any licensing bids in Somalia, which is a major loss for those specific companies on the long term.

 

@Somalia, cool story bro, nothing authentic about it. Typical anti-government propaganda.

[warsamaale]

d/p

[Somalia]

 

Listen to this interview.

 

Interview on BBC Somali with Fowsiya Xaaji (June 4th 2013)

 

http://somalitalkradio.com/cod/2013/fowsiya_badda_bcc_jun4.mp3

Daily Nation Kenya confirms:

 

The Kenyan and Somalia ministers said they would work on modalities for embarking on maritime demarcation.

[Miyir]

Either FM gone rogue and signed the MOU and now FG is in damage control or its just smoke and mirrors to hide behind their true intention, FG must release the full version of documents that FOWZIA signed. Very simple

[Chimera]

Apophis;959601 wrote:

Then how come oil companies are drilling in Somaliland? The FG hasn't agreed to it. Genuine question.

The situation in Somalia itself is a lot more complex than having your neighbour explore and drill in your sovereign waters. I would compare it to the situation between Iraq and its Kurdistan province. However a licensing bid is scheduled, and the FG has made it clear that some of the old major companies still own their awarded blocks, and that is legally binding, from an international perspective. What we have in Puntland and Somaliland are exploration companies, who upon a discovery of commercial quantity would divert the project to any of the big six, several of which, such as Shell, still adamantly hold on to their Somali rights.

[Chimera]

Somalia;959603 wrote:

Listen to this interview.

 

Interview on BBC Somali with Fowsiya Xaaji (June 4th 2013)

 

http://somalitalkradio.com/cod/2013/...a_bcc_jun4.mp3

I did, but I don't think you or Apophis did LOL, she actually highlights that this so-called letter you posted earlier by Somalitalk is fake, and that there was no new MOU in the meeting between the FM and the Kenyans, it was about resettling the refugees, and cooperation between the two governments. I'm really baffled that you would post something that discredits your own posts, unless you thought I wouldn't actually listen to it, haha?

 

Here are her same words in writing:

 

 

Fowsiya: “Badda Soomaaliyeed Cidina kuma murmi karto”

Wasiirada arimaha dibada Soomaaliya ahna Ra’iisul wasaare ku xigeen, ayaa galabta mar ay wareysi gar ah siineysay Idaacada BBC-da laanteeda Afka Soomaaliga, waxay kahadashay arinta ku aadan Badda Soomaaliya, iyo warar ay warbaahinta qaar maalmahaan qorayeen oo ah in Marwo Fowsiya ay saxiixday in mar labaad Kenya iyo Soomaaliya ay kawada hadlaan arita la xiriirta muranka Badda.

 

Marwo Fowsiya ayaa sheegtay in warbaahinta qaar ay ka been abuurteen saxiixeeda islamarkaasna ay dulsaareen Document qaldan, waxay sheegtay in marnaba badda Soomaaliyeed aan lagu murmi Karin gor gortana lagalin Karin.

 

“Badda Soomaaliyeed intii la yaqaanay ee ay Soomaali lahayd waligeed Soomaali baa leh, cidina kuma murmi karto waa wax yaala, waxaynu dib u xareeyneyno oo dib aan u weydiisaneyno maaha” ayay tiri marwo Fowsiya.

 

Fowsiya Yuusuf ayaa sheegtay in qaar kamid ah wabsedyadaSoomaaliyeed ay warbixin been ah ka qoreen ayna sheegeen in ay saxiixday document cadeynaya in mar kale ay doowladah Soomaaliya iyo Kenya ay kawada hadlaan arinta ku saabsan biyaha Soomaaliya.

 

“Soomaali waxaa booskaan ugu joogaa inaan ugu dagaalamo xuquuqdeedii iyo badaheedii iyo dhulkeeda, heshiiska aan saxiixnay arinta badda kuma jirto, waxaa kujira arimaha dhaqaalaha, arimaha qaxootiga, waxaa kujira in siyaasiyan leys taageero waa isku soo dhaweynta Soomaaliya iyo Kenya, ee heshiis bad lagaga hadlay maahan” ayay tiri wasiirada.

 

Marwo Fowsiya way sii hadashay waxayna hadalkeeda sii daba dhigtay “Warsaxaafadeedka hore ayay iyagu I weydiiyeen in laga wada hadli karo iyagoo sooq aaday heshiiskii hore ee qaldanaa ee la saxiixay xiligii doowladii KMG, waxaana u sheegay inuu ahaa heshiis qalad ah oo ay doowlad KMG ah saxiixday, anaguna waan diidnay arinkaas waana u cadeeyay doowlada Kenya”

 

Marwo Fowsiya ayaa si aan ka leex leexad lahayn oo cad u sheegtay in doowlada Kenya ay kusoo hadal qaaday arinta Badda Soomaaliya, waxayna sheegtay in doowlada Soomaaliyeed aysan marnaba ogoleyn in gor gortan lagaliyo Biyaha Soomaaliya.

 

Arinta la xiriirta muranka Badda Soomaaliya, ayaa ahayd arin soo jiitameysay tan iyo doowladii KMG ahayd ee uu hogaminayay madaxweynihii hore Shiikh Sharif Shiikh Axmed, waxaana arintaas si aad ah ugu hotr’imaaday oo diiday baarlamaankii KMG ahaa ee xiligaas jiray, laakiin Kenya ayaa u muuqata mid soo laba kacleeysay islamarkaasna dooneysa ineey gor gortan galiso biyaha Soomaaliya.

 

-

LINK

[Chimera]

Apophis;959613 wrote:

^Give it a rest sxb. She was spinning like a tyre. At first they asserted the subject wasn't even raised and now she says it was raised but we rejected it. She wouldn't be the first Somali politician to lie so you can continue to be trusting but you'll forgive us if we hold our politicians to higher standard.

There was a set agenda for that meeting,(refugees, border security) the water situation wasn't one of them, and it was only in passing. The Kenyans asked her about it, she re-iterated the Federal government stance, and that of the prewar governments. The Kenyans spinned it into being a new MOU about the sea and you guys took it hook link and sinker. Our Foreign Minister did well, and was assertive in showing the Kenyans the government won't change its position on Somalia's territorial waters.

 

As for standards and other superficial stuff, LOLWUT?

[Chimera]

Really?

[Somalia]

Chimera;959610 wrote:

I did, but I don't think you or Apophis did LOL, she actually highlights that this so-called letter you posted earlier by Somalitalk is fake, and that there was no new MOU in the meeting between the FM and the Kenyans, it was about resettling the refugees, and cooperation between the two governments. I'm really baffled that you would post something that discredits your own posts, unless you thought I wouldn't actually listen to it, haha?

 

Here are her same words in writing:

Haha, err no.

 

I listened to it. She contradicts herself. She says we did not discuss it yet she says they have a right to discuss it and it was on the press release. Listen to 3:40.

 

Anyway it's on paper and the Kenyans confirmed it as did she, by accident I guess. But this is the same woman who said I am from both countries, Somalia and Somaliland, so her gaffes are widely documented.

[Chimera]

Somalia;959622 wrote:

Haha, err no.

 

I listened to it. She contradicts herself. She says we did not discuss it yet she says they have a right to discuss it and it was on the press release. Listen to 3:40.

 

Anyway it's on paper and the Kenyans confirmed it as did she, by accident I guess. But this is the same woman who said I am from both

countries

, Somalia and Somaliland, so her gaffes are widely documented.

It's not a contradiction if one party does not consider it a subject worthy of being mentioned as being part of the over all discussion. The FG was/is clear that Somalia's territorial waters are non-negotiable. If the other party then sends you an invitation with several bullet points highlighting what will be discussed, and then at the time of the meeting out of nowhere mentions a separate subject on the old MOU and appeals for a new dialogue on this situation, you can't ignore their questions, instead you answer them swiftly and assertively, which is what FM Fawzia did, even do she doesn't consider part of the meeting's agenda.

 

This is common sense, and classic politics. The most important part of this whole discussion however is not whether there was any discussion on the issue, the important point is that the FM firmly asserted the FG's stance that Somalia's waters are non-negotiable, everything else in this topic are just red-herrings.