International court backs Somalia in sea dispute with Kenya

NAIROBI – The International Court of Justice has sided with Somalia successful its quality with neighboring Kenya implicit a maritime bound successful a lawsuit affecting a territory perchance affluent successful lipid and gas.

The ruling connected Tuesday by the United Nations’ highest tribunal is legally binding, though the tribunal has nary enforcement powers. The tribunal rejected Kenya’s assertion of the maritime bound it sought, saying Kenya had not consistently maintained it. Instead, it leaned person to Somalia’s assertion of a consecutive enactment into the Indian Ocean from their border.

“Congratulations to the Somali people, we person succeeded successful capturing our seas,” Somalia's curate of information, Osman Dubbe, tweeted.

But the tribunal rejected Somalia’s pursuit of reparations aft the state alleged that immoderate of Kenya’s maritime activities had violated its sovereignty.

Kenya past week said it would not admit the court's judgment, alleging that the judicial process had “obvious and inherent bias.” Its connection acknowledged that the judgement would person “profound security, political, societal and economical ramifications successful the portion and beyond,” portion urging Kenyans to stay calm.

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Somalia filed the ICJ lawsuit implicit the countries’ maritime bound successful 2014, contributing to their strained relations.

The tribunal based astatine The Hague noted that it “cannot disregard the discourse of the civilian war” that destabilized Somalia for years and constricted its authorities functions. It besides recovered “no compelling grounds that Somalia has acquiesced” to Kenya’s assertion of a maritime bound on a parallel enactment of latitude.

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