A diplomatic row between Kenya and her neighbor Somalia that has been brewing for months now escalated on Thursday (today) after the Arab parliament issued a warning to Kenya on the maritime border issue.
Somalia, through a Twitter post, appeared to warn Kenya in a notice written in Arabic which implied that Kenya had drawn a “new, unfounded map”.
“The #Arab Parliament calls on #Kenya to stop its hands on #Somali territorial waters, which are an integral part of the Arab waters, and rejects its false pretensions to draw up a new, unfounded map while rejecting its threats to interfere in #Somalia‘s internal affairs,” the tweet read.
The #Arab Parliament calls on #Kenya to stop its hands on #Somali territorial waters, which are an integral part of the Arab waters, and rejects its false pretensions to draw up a new, unfounded map while rejecting its threats to interfere in #Somalia's internal affairs. pic.twitter.com/sx8TJjRnT7
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇴 (@MofaSomalia) June 20, 2019
However, the so-called warning has been termed by Kenyans as total crap with many calling Somalia an ungrateful neighbor who doesn’t appreciate the help they received during the hour of need.
Through an hashtag ‘#SomeoneTellSomalia’ that has been trending at number one for the better part of Thursday, agitated Kenyans formed a united front in confronting Somalia while urging the government to never cede an inch to the crisis-hit neighbor.
A narrow triangle off the coast the two nations, about 100,000 square kilometers, is the bone of contention with both countries thirsting for the area because it supposedly has a large deposit of oil and gas, but it’s not clear to which country it belongs.
“The position of the boundary is a gray area,” said Timothy Walter, a maritime border conflict researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa.
For Kenya, however, the boundary is quite clear.
https://twitter.com/Evan98457959/status/1141749442615435267
It lies line parallel to the line of latitude. That gives Kenya the larger share of the maritime area and it has already sold mining licenses to international companies.
But Somalia disagrees.
The Somalis want the boundary to extend to the southeast as an extension of the land border.
Many believe that Kenya should no longer play the “good neighbour”.
https://twitter.com/Chepkut_William/status/1141742746568482816
Instead, she should proclaim, in no uncertain terms, her intent to deploy the full array of Kenya’s instruments of national power to get her maritime territory back.
President Uhuru Kenyatta must indicate to both Somalia and any other international entity of its purposed unwillingness to engage in wishful diplomacy but use military force if necessary.
According to Dr Sagala, a consultant on security and governance, Kenya must stand on Article 5 of the Constitution, where “Kenya” consists of the “territory and territorial waters on the effective date” of this supreme law (2010).
Article 238 defines national security as the “protection against internal and external threats to Kenya’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, its people, their rights, freedoms, property, peace, stability and prosperity, and other national interests”.
Here are some reactions from Kenyans:
Arabs SOLD Africans as SLAVES. NEVER forget that. Our CLARION Call on SOMALIA is this: Not an INCH More; NOT an Inch LESS.#SomeoneTellSomalia
— Mutahi Ngunyi (@MutahiNgunyi) June 20, 2019
Saudi Arabia who's ass is licked by the 'Arab League' finances the reign of terror in Sudan and slaughtered Khashoggi like chicken tf! Kenya cannot be intimidated#SomeoneTellSomalia
— Kenyan Socialist 🇰🇪🇺🇬🇹🇿 (@bravo_gidi) June 20, 2019
If Somalian continue this way fighting Kenyan with foreign nation come 2022 after dp win the election we will take over and colonise them #SomeoneTellSomalia
— Ernest Cheruiyot (@borowojunior) June 20, 2019
Somalis and Arabs can't torture our people uko Middle East na Pia Somaliland and expect us to bow, we shall fight till the end and like a wounded lion #SomeoneTellSomalia
— Gideon Kitheka Jnr. 🇰🇪 (@Gideon_Kitheka) June 20, 2019
#SomeoneTellSomalia.please somalia attack Kenya so that we know we exercise our sovereignty.We shall begin by deleting all Somalis from huduma number database and declaring them persona non grata.Eastleigh shall be taken over.We shall teach them that we can invoke crudity atimes
— Erick Atitwa (@AtitwaGmail) June 20, 2019
#SomeoneTellSomalia that as sovereign souls of this great republic Kenya we shall employ whatever is at our disposal to protect and defend our territorial integrity including sending our online slay queens(Vera Sidika) to infect your President and entire Cabinet with Syphilis. pic.twitter.com/GlVYTjdXuT
— I✨N✨E✨S✨T✨O✨R✨ (@iNestor2014) June 20, 2019
Do the government of Somalia respect AU or the black member states of AU? The same people who they seem to have turned their backs on have AMISOM defeating Alshabaab and keeping peace while dying all for what? @_AfricanUnion must rethink #SomeoneTellSomalia
— Lord Abraham Mutai (@ItsMutai) June 20, 2019