Kenya, Somalia must look beyond maritime dispute

Two-thirds of the earth comprises of water, an enormous mass that gives the seas ability to trigger international instability since it provides economic opportunities. This is referred to as the blue sea economy. Over the years, countries have realised and continue to exploit opportunities in deep-sea mining, deep-sea fishing, oil exploration, transportation of goods, military surveillance among others.

Kenya – Somalia relations is at its lowest following the dispute over the maritime boundary in the Indian Ocean. This has been sparked by Somalia’s auctioning of the oil blocks in the disputed Indian Ocean boundary. Moreover, Somalia has presented the dispute to the International Court Justice (ICJ), which is due for hearing from September 9 to 15. Maritime disputes are often controversial and delicate. The disputes mainly surround the jurisdictional limits of the coastal states and territorial sovereignty within the confines of interpretation of the law of the seas.