Somalia, Kenya agreed to deescalate diplomatic tensions, Ethiopia PM said
Kenya and
Somalia have committed to peace while undertaking to amicably resolve the
current maritime dispute at talks mediated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia
on Wednesday.
Although State House had not released a
statement on the outcome of the meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and
Somalia’s Mohammed Abdullahi by the time of writing this article, the Ethiopian
Premier said the duo agreed to address issues that have led to the escalation
of tensions between the two countries.
“Through
the leadership of PM Abiy Ahmed, Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Mohammed
Abdullahi met this morning to discuss extensively on the source of the two
countries dispute. As an outcome both agreed to work towards peace and to take
measures in addressing particular issues that escalated the tensions,” Ahmed’s
office said.
A translated message issued by
President Abdullahi’s office said the meeting discussed recent diplomatic tensions
adding Somalia and Kenya had committed to strengthen their working
relationship.
He expressed gratitude to Ahmed for
“spearheading the dialogue aimed at restoring the positive working relations
that exist between the Somali and Kenyan government” while describing the talks
as fruitful.
“President Farmajo (Abdullahi) and his
Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta have had a fruitful meeting at State House
this morning. The main agenda for the meeting was to find a solution to
diplomatic differences,” his office said.
“They also held talks on how to combat
terrorism in the region and formulate measures to bring peace and stability,”
Abdullahi’s press office added.
The Somali Head of State arrived in the
country Tuesday night in company of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Ahmed who
mediated the talks.
Abdullahi and Ahmed were received at
the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Foreign Affairs Political and
Diplomatic Secretary Tom Omollo, the Foreign Ministry deviating from a now
common tradition of sharing photos of formal receptions of visiting foreign
leaders.
Kenya-Somalia relations soured mid last
month after Mogadishu reportedly sold off Kenya’s oil and gas blocks at a
London auction.
In response to Somali’s actions, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred Somalia’s diplomat back to Mogadishu and
recalled her representative stationed in Mogadishu, Lt. General (Rtd) Lucas
Tumbo for what Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau described as “urgent
consultations.”
PS Kamau accused Somalia of
unilaterally selling off oil and gas blocks in a disputed maritime territory in
the Indian Ocean at a London auction on February 7 while announcing the drastic
measures on February 16.
MFA had termed the move “unparalleled
affront on Kenya” vowing that the “illegal grab” will not go unanswered.
“This outrageous and provocative
auction deserves and will be met with a unanimous and resounding rejection by
all Kenyans as well as all people of goodwill who believe in the maintenance of
international law and order and the peaceful and legal resolution of disputes,”
Amb Kamau said on February 16, during a news conference at the ministry’s
headquarters in Nairobi.
Kenya particularly faulted Mogadishu
for engaging in the London auction in total disregard of ongoing mediation
processes and a boundary delimitation case at the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) filed by Somalia on August 28, 2014.
Kenya has since reached out to a number
of nations in what MFA has said were efforts to provide clarity on the dispute
and assure the global community of its commitment to a peaceful resolution of
the maritime dispute.
“We briefed them on the situation
between ourselves and Somalia, provided the facts to both councils and to draw
their attention to the situation,” MFA CS Monica Juma said last Wednesday of a
session she held on February 22 attended by among other foreign envoys
Britain’s Nic Hailey and France’s Aline Kuster-Menager.
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