Kenya and Somalia government leaders on Thursday agreed to normalize relations between the two countries at a meeting in Nairobi, reported Africa News.
Relations between the two countries have impeded in recent months over a diplomatic row over a maritime delimitation dispute pending at the International Court of Justice. Somalia sued Kenya in 2014 for rights over a roughly 100,000-square-kilometer (62,000-square-mile) area that is thought to contain large deposits of oil and gas.
During a joint press conference on the sidelines of the International Conference on Population and Development in Kenya’s capital, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Somali counterpart Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo said they were defending the relations between the two countries, in spite of an existing maritime boundary case at the International Court of Justice.
“We have come to an understanding that there can be no greater relationship than that of neighbors. With immediate effect, we will return to normality,” President Kenyatta said at the joint press conference, referring to his country’s previous move to deny visas on arrival to Somalis.
“In the past few months, we have had issues that have strained our relations. But today, we have agreed that there is a need to bring normality to our relationship,” he added.
The Kenyan president also touched on the maritime border case that is due for a public hearing in June next year.
“I can assure you that the ICJ issue will not affect our bilateral relationship,” he said.
President Farmaajo expressed gratitude to Kenya for its role in AMISOM, the African Union peacekeeping mission fighting against the al-Qaeda affiliated Somali-based al-Shabaab militant group and its role in sheltering Somali refugees fleeing conflict back home.
On the maritime boundary matter, Farmaajo said he had confidence that the International Court of justice, ICJ, seized with the matter will deliver a mutually acceptable resolution when it rules on the matter in the months ahead.
