Before You start or Jump into the #SomaliaVsKenya. Question the Authenticity of this letter. It lacks a signature and even the name of the Author. We should also ask the Progress of the Wall on the Border and the progress of the case in ICJ on the Marine time boundary. ? pic.twitter.com/hSFxsdJEQk
— BRAVIN™ (@ItsBravin) 17 February 2019
A storm is brewing on different social media platforms following a decision by the government to recall its ambassador to Somalia.
Earlier, ambassador Lucas Tumbo was instructed to return to Nairobi after it emerged Somalia had auctioned several Kenyan oil and gas blocks to the United Kingdom.
Kenya – Somalia row: Kenya says the ambassadors were neither recalled nor expelled. Somalia explains that territory in contention was not auctioned. #NTVWeekendEdition@zeynabIsmail #SomaliaVsKenya pic.twitter.com/1fiD4TL05J
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) 17 February 2019
Kenya also instructed the ambassador of Somalia to Kenya Mohammed Muhamud Nur to depart for consultation.
As news of the development spread, Kenyans took to various internet platforms where they weighed in on the subject.
Some took a swipe at the government of Somalia for assuming ownership of what they knew rightfully belongs to Kenya.
According to those who supported the move by the government, Somalia had taken for granted all the sacrifices Kenya had offered to ensure it was stable and peaceful.
Some charged Kenya needed to resort to non-diplomatic solutions in a move to tame its neighbor that they described as an ungrateful kid. In order to teach her a lesson, some social media users rooted for the government to pull out its military troops from Somalia.
Others suggested it cuts all business links. “The best thing that can happen in East Africa is to have a peaceful Somalia. So it’s not in the best interests of the region to start having diplomatic rows with them.
Wisdom demands that we must engage maturely,” Maina P Kiromo wrote on Twitter. Among those who reacted on the issue faulted the Kenyan Government for its lethargy in solving territorial disputes.
They singled out its existing stalemate with Uganda concerning Migingo Island. This, they said, had prompted Somalia to take over the Marine territory knowing Kenya will do nothing in response.
On the other hand, some described the action by Kenya as a greedy move. They maintained that the territories were rightfully owned by Somalia and Kenya wanted to grab them in-exchanged of its peace mission.