Kenya has pulled out of the maritime border case with Somalia just a few hours to the scheduled hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. The point of disagreement between Kenya and Somalia is the nature of the line of the maritime boundary. Somalia asserts a centre line from the Kenya/Somalia land boundary terminus but Kenya insists on a straight line. Somalia’s central line carves out a triangle of the maritime area currently occupied by Kenya and where four oil blocks are located. In 2019, Somalia floated for auction minerals within Kenya’s territorial waters alongside the four contested oil blocks.

Source: Standard Digital March 14, 2021 10:35 UTC