The UN’s top court decides today on a long-running border dispute between Somalia and Kenya. Somalia will now own a chunk of what used to be Kenya’s territory in the Indian Ocean following a judgment on Tuesday by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The court’s decision will have potentially far-reaching consequences for bilateral ties and access to natural resources in the oil and gas-rich region. The case was brought in by Somalia more than seven years ago.
At the heart of the dispute lies the direction that the joint maritime boundary should follow from the point where the land frontiers meet on the coast. Kenya has already accused the UN’s court of bias and announced that it will not recognise the court’s binding decision.
Data source: the star