Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta has rejected a ruling by the UN’s top court which allows Somalia take control of most of a potentially oil and gas-rich chunk of the Indian Ocean.
The ruling on Tuesday comes after a dispute between the two countries over the issue.
“While Kenya is not surprised by the decision, it is profoundly concerned by the import of the decision and its implications for the Horn of Africa region, and international law generally. At the very onset, Kenya wishes to indicate that it rejects in totality and does not recognise the findings in the decision.”
Like their president, some Kenyan residents appear disappointed at the court ruling.
“We are not really pleased as Kenyans because our territory has been taken away from us. So our government is very steadfast, we are going to defend our border.
“I think this is the right time as we as the Kenyans to defend our government, Kenya to defend its territory and boundaries because when we decide to give them an inch, they’ll take definitely a mile. We are not after that, whether Somalis will not agree with us, but that is the best thing that the Kenyan government has to do.”
The judges unanimously ruled there was no agreed maritime boundry in force and drew a new border close to one claimed by Somalia.