The hearings of the UN International Court of Justice on the dispute between Kenya and Somalia ended on Thursday 18 March. Somalia made its final remarks, still in the absence of Kenya, which refused to lodge its case. The case is now under advice. The verdict should be known in a few months.
The last hearing before the UN judge was very short. It was Mohamed Omar Ibrahim, an adviser to the Somali president, who in a few minutes presented his government’s concluding remarks.
Somalia asks the Court, of course, to reject the Kenyan demands, to draw a maritime border in accordance with the law between the two countries, to acknowledge the violation of Somali sovereignty and, finally, to require Kenya to provide Somalia with all the data would have been gathered in the disputed area.
► Also read:Kenya and Somalia are fighting over large maritime sectors before the ICJ
The hearings were then closed without further comment by U.S. Judge Joan Donoghue. The verdict must be known within 4-6 months.
These three afternoon speeches have enabled Somalia to show how serious it has taken this matter. Prestigious experts in international law have provided solid evidence of the benefits of Somali claims.
Only the Kenyan replica was missing, whose boycott seems to some observers to be a recognition of weakness. However, the judges stated that in their judgment they would take into account the written documents submitted by Nairobi.
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