A committee has been formed to examine and resolve the diplomatic tiff between Kenya and Somalia, hours after Somalia announced that it has severed ties with Kenya.
This was announced by government spokesman retired colonel Cyrus Oguna who said that a lot was at stake, after Kenyan diplomatic staff in Somalia were given seven days to leave the country.
“There is a committee that has been put in place to be able to look into the issues that are coming between these two neighbouring countries that have a lot of history between the two of them. Once the issues are addressed then the press will be notified,” Oguna said.
“All of us are aware that Kenya and Somalia have a lot of factors that bring us together. We have a historical background, economic ties, and KDF that is in Somalia in helping in searching for peace.”
Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo severed ties with Nairobi in the wee hours of Tuesday, hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta met Somaliland President Musa Abdi.
‘’Somalia wants all its diplomats to go back to Mogadishu and Kenyan diplomats have 7 days to leave the country,’’ said Somalia Minister of Information Osman Abukar Dubbe.
Read: Somalia Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Kenya, Diplomats To Exit In 7 Days
Somalia has been accusing Kenya of meddling with its sovereignty by manipulating Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia.
According to Oguna, the formation of the committee will be in conformity with the diplomatic principle of “scratch my back I scratch yours.”
“The issues to do with diplomacy and international relations work on the principle of scratch my back I scratch your back, and as a country, you have been kind and accommodative,” said Oguna.
Somalia and Kenya has been engaged in a tussle over maritime territory over an oil-rich continental shelf with the matter pending in the International Court of Justice.
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