Somalia backs down on its own seas for Kenya

[ElPunto]

Kenya, Somalia in talks to end border row out of UN court

 

EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com

 

Posted Monday, June 29 2015 at 20:19

 

 

Kenya and Somalia are seeking an out-of-court settlement over the long-running border dispute linked to lucrative oil and gas reserves in the Indian Ocean.

 

Foreign Affairs secretary Amina Mohammed told Parliament that Somalia had agreed to pursue arbitration outside the United Nation’s highest court which was preparing to start hearing the suit.

 

Somalia had asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to determine the maritime boundary between the two neighbours which disagree on the right to explore and collect revenue from oil discoveries.

 

“We have received a pledge from the Federal Government of Somalia indicating readiness to withdraw a case it filed in New York against us and pull out of the case for us to resolve maritime boundary issues,” said Ms Mohammed.

 

Somalia had also filed a formal claim for a bigger chunk of the continental shelf at the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) based in New York.

 

Somalia wants the maritime border to continue along the line of the land border, to the southeast diagonally and says a horizontal border would be unfair. Kenya, however, wants the sea border to go in a straight line east, giving it more sea territory.

 

READ: Somalia takes Kenya to UN court in oil rights row

 

If it goes the Somalia way, Kenya will be left with a small triangle in the Indian Ocean for mineral rights, losing at least seven oil blocks it has offered explorers.

 

The dispute has been running for years, keeping investors away because of lack of legal clarity over who owns potential offshore oil and gas reserves.

 

Kenya recently identified eight new offshore exploration blocks available for licensing, and all but one of them are located in the contested area.

 

Somalia has said the dispute risks deterring multinational oil companies from exploring for oil and gas offshore East Africa.

 

An agreement reached and deposited with the Law of the Sea Commission in New York in 2011 following similar diplomatic negotiations was scuttled by Somalia’s parliament, setting the stage for the suit at the UN’s highest judicial body.

 

The agreement between Kenya and Somalia stated that the border would run east along the line of latitude, but Mogadishu, which has lacked an effective central government since 1991, rejected the agreement in parliament.

 

In 2012, Somalia accused Kenya of awarding offshore oil and gas exploration blocks illegally to multinationals Total and Eni. Kenya rejected the accusation.

 

http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Kenya--Somalia-in-talks-to-end-border-row-out-of-UN-court/-/539546/2769464/-/k769ojz/-/index.html

[ElPunto]

Two days before the nation's birthday and this needless retreat. It is not a coincidence that the Prime Minister who presided over the signing away of the seas the first time is the same one again. Clearly not without the full backing of the President but Cumar Cabdirashid is quite frankly a sh*t.

 

Not a big outcry this time around though. I've barely heard anyone saying anything.

[Mooge]

MFA and Hadliye are denying this as fabrication by Kenya. but it is true that qoslaye damjadiid agents are double dealing but this case will not stop.

 

Maalmihii ugu dambeeyay , warar ay warbaahintu faafisay oo tilmaamayay in Kenya iyo Somalia ay ku heshiiyeen in ay kala gar-qaataan ,iyadoo aan la marin Maxkamadda sare ee Qaramada Midoobey ,taasi oo macnaheedu yahay in labada dal ay ku kala baxaan Maxkamad la'aan.

 

Soomaaliya waxa ay cadeyneysaa , inay weli ku adkeysaneyso , ayna ka go'antahay kiiska Sharciga iyo dacwada ee Maxkamadda Cadaaladda Caalamiga ee Hague, iyadoo la raacayo heshiiska Qaramada Midoobey ee Qaanuunka badaha (UNCLOS).

 

Maalgelinta caalamiga , barwaaqada iyo kobaca dhaqaale ee Soomaaliya iyo dalalka deriska ah waxa uu ku imaan karaa iyadoo la xaliyo arrinkan , waxaanan u taagannahay ,kuna adkeysaneynaa kiiska sharciga ah ee aan hore u gudbinay.

 

Soomaaliya waxa ay rumeysan tahay wadahadal cad iyo iskaashiga ay la leedahay wadamada deriska ah, waxaana weli furan soojeedinnada iyo hindisiyaasha si loo gaaro xal dhameystiran oo lagu qanacsan yahay .

 

Xafiiska Qeybta Warbaahinta iyo Xiriirka Bulshada ee Wasaaradda

Section of Press and Public Relations

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[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Madaxweynaha shalay ayuu baarlamaanka ka hor hadlay and he specifically denied this, mentioning the mounting pressure (and threats) the Soomaali government had faced on this issue.

[ElPunto]

^How can the Kenyan Foreign Minister lie about the Somali position without some formal and public complaint from the Somali government? I suspect there is some xeer hosaad going on and the FG can't be seen to be doing different in public. There has to be a reason that Fawzia felt confident enough to go before her parliament and say this.

[Miyir]

Somalia FM confirms Amina's assertion clearly here. Somalia agreed to settle the dispute, read the coached and misleading Press statement Somalia FM released recent. Treason

 

 

 

In recent days, some statements have emerged in the news suggesting that Kenya and Somalia have agreed to pursue arbitration outside The United Nation’s High court. Thus, declaring that the two nations are seeking an out of court settlement.

 

 

Somalia would like to clarify and reiterate its commitment to the legal case and proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

(it adds nothing, the case is bending and everyone knows)

 

International investment, prosperity and the economic growth of Somalia and its neighbors depend on this issue being resolved

and we stand firm by the legal case we put forward.

 

Somalia believes in transparent and cooperative dialogue with its neighboring states and remains open to suggestions and initiatives towards a complete and satisfactory settlement.

100% in agreement what Kenya FM said.

 

Xafiiska Qeybta Warbaahinta iyo Xiriirka Bulshada ee Wasaaradda

Section of Press and Public Relations

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[ElPunto]

^Hold on.

 

Somalia would like to clarify and reiterate its commitment to the legal case and proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

 

If The Somali government is committed to the legal case that is pending then it cannot pledge/commit to an out of court settlement with Kenya. It is either/or. This statement says that dialogue will continue with Kenya but that the court process continues. If that is indeed the case - then it is good. It is alright to hold out an olive branch to Kenya as long as the case is officially in the court.

[Miyir]

<cite>

@ElPunto

said:</cite>

^Hold on.

 

 

 

If The Somali government is committed to the legal case that is pending then it cannot pledge/commit to an out of court settlement with Kenya. It is either/or. This statement says that dialogue will continue with Kenya but that the court process continues. If that is indeed the case - then it is good. It is alright to hold out an olive branch to Kenya as long as the case is officially in the court.

 

In meantime we will negotiate with Kenya until we sign an agreement, please go back to sleep, then it's too late to protest. af carabi waaye ma fahantay.

 

Amina vindicated, no one denied so far what she said.

[Holac]

I think the President's camp is playing a game here. The truth will come out.

[Nin-Yaaban]

Blame it on that fat prime minister guy, the Abdirashid dude.

 

Ive seen him once here in my state and he looks like he hasn't missed one meal in his lifetime.

 

Probably sold our sea for some Food. LooL

[Miyir]

Fat Boy and Qoslaaye working with the Kenyans.

 

http://caasimadda.com/xog-df-oo-qaab-farsamo-ah-ula-soo-noqoneysa-dacwadii-badda-kadib-goaankii-baarlamanka/

[somalia4somalis]

If this continues, somalis will have no option but to embrace shabaab.

[Nin-Yaaban]

Woah a terrorist sympathizer, who would've thought. Dont you have like a suicide mission to carry out boy?

[Degel]

Could this be a legal maneuvering? Is it possible that the Kenyans initiated this meeting, so they can prove to the ICC that they tried to resolve the issue with the Somalis and it is the Somalis that are intransigence here? And to respond to this new development, Somalis are acting they themselves tried to resolve the issue with Kenya but after we tried, we could not agree?

 

I contemplated those questions because, according to the SFG's brief statement, they stated we should negotiate with Kenya and at the same time continue the case at ICC.

 

But why does it have to be secret then?

 

At the end of the day, I would not expect the men and (perhaps women) who failed to pay the salary of the security forces to defend Somalia's territorial seas. They have enough money to travel and go to one conference after another, but they can't pay the salary of the security forces? And we expected these guys to defend Somalia's territorial sea?

[Degel]

<cite>

@Nin-Yaaban

said:</cite>

Blame it on that fat prime minister guy, the Abdirashid dude.

 

Ive seen him once here in my state and he looks like he hasn't missed one meal in his lifetime.

 

Probably sold our sea for some Food. LooL

 

It is mind-boggling to see people throwing insults in Ramadan. Truth needs to be told: When Somalia's TFG parliament rejected the maritime deal between the TFG and Kenya in 2011 and it was sent to President Sharif to sign it, it was PM Omar Abdirashid who directed his foreign minister Ali Ahmed Jengeli to take the decision of the TFP and filed it with the UN after former President Sharif signed the TFP's decision. In other words, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke had fulfilled his duty in that case.