Two weeks after Somalia expelled Kenya’s ambassador and recalled its own ambassador from Kenya, Mogadishu has now suspended all diplomatic ties with neighboring Nairobi, alleging interference in its domestic affairs. Somalia’s Minister of Information, Osman Abukar Dubbe, delivered a televised address in which he announced that the government would be recalling all its diplomats from Nairobi and gave Kenyan diplomats in Mogadishu seven days to leave the country.
Dubbe said, “The Somali government, based on its national sovereignty guaranteed by international law and order, and fulfilling its constitutional duty to safeguard the nationhood, unity and stability of the country, has decided to sever diplomatic relations with the Kenyan government.” The information minister added, “The government took this decision to respond to recurring outright political violations and interference by Kenya against the sovereignty of our country.”
This follows a meeting between Somaliland leader Muse Bihi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi. Somaliland is a self-proclaimed country that declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but is considered by most international actors and Mogadishu itself to be a part of Somalia. Hence, Kenya’s actions are seeing as legitimising a separatist group.
Somalia has also lodged a formal complaint with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is currently chaired by Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Last year, Somalia cut ties with Guinea over the same issue.
Like Guinea, Kenya is accused of meddling in Somaliland, but has allegedly gone one step further in that it is also accused of interfering in Jubaland. Two weeks ago, Somalia recalled its ambassador to Nairobi and demanded that Kenya’s ambassador to Mogadishu, Lucas Tumbo, return home, accusing Kenya of interfering in its internal affairs in the southern state.
Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Mohamud Ahmed Nur, who also acts as the country’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused Kenya of pressuring the leader of the Jubaland state, Ahmed Mohamed Islan Madobe, to reject an agreement that was reached between federal states and the federal government in September.
In fact, Kenya’s interference in Jubaland and support for Madobe is not a new development. As far back as 2013, it was revealed that Madobe, a former militia leader, was being backed by Nairobi and had even travelled to Kenya to meet with government authorities, and was received as the president of Jubaland.
At the same time, Kenya and Somalia are also embroiled in a maritime dispute over oil and gas resources which are located off the coast of the state of Jubaland, which is home to the crucial Somali port of Kismayo.
In fact, in February 2019, Kenya recalled its ambassador to Mogadishu after Somalia attempted to auction oil and gas exploration blocks that were still being contested by the two nations.
It is unclear what these latest developments will mean for peacekeeping in the region, given that Kenya has deployed 3,600 troops to Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) counterterrorism operation against al-Shabab.
Furthermore, it remains unknown how this will impact humanitarian cooperation between the two countries, as Kenya currently hosts 350,000 Somali refugees.
Somalia Suspends Diplomatic Ties With Kenya Over Interference in Somaliland, Jubaland
Somalia has recalled all its diplomats from Nairobi and has ordered all Kenyan diplomats to leave Mogadishu within seven days.
December 16, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF SOMALIASomali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo (L) and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta pictured together in happier times, November 2019.