Kenya-Somalia sea-border dispute

Kenya-Somalia sea-border dispute

Hearing over the Kenya-Somalia sea border dispute

as the International Court of Justice begun on

Monday despite Kenya’s absence.

The case started with oral arguments by

Somalia government’s legal team .

The International Court of Justice has said it

“regrets the decision of Kenya not to participate”, – Kenya-Somalia sea-border dispute

but ruled to continue the hearing

without the country’s involvement.

Somalia said Kenya’s decision not to participate in the ICJ

proceedings was “inconsistent with its obligations.. and rule of law.”

The bench also rejected Kenya’s request to address the

council before the start of the hearings.

Kenya had sought to address the court on

 why the country may not participate in the hearings 

of the case that started in 2014.

Kenya accuses the ICJ of bias in the case,

which concerns a 62,000 sq. miles (160,000 sq. km)

triangle in the Indian Ocean.

Somalia brought the case in 2014, saying the maritime

frontier should follow on in the same direction as the

land border, while Kenya argues that it has always

been taken in a horizontal line from the point

where the two countries meet at the coast.