International Court of Justice grants Kenya another delay in maritime case with Somalia




Kenya has been calling for an out of court settlement but Somalia has insisted on the International Court of Justice.

International Court of Justice grants Kenya another delay in maritime case with Somalia  states that the postponement is granted on the understanding that both Parties will be represented at the hearings. The International Court of Justice has postponed the Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean between Somalia and Kenya to 2020. The decision follows a request by Kenya to push the case initially scheduled for next month to September 2020.

This is the second time that Kenya has been granted a postponement request with the hearing having been pushed from October to November. “The court has duly considered the views and arguments of the Parties regarding Kenya’s request. It has decided to postpone the oral proceedings to the week beginning Monday 8 June 2020,” International Court of Justice said.



International Court of Justice, however, added states that the postponement is granted on the understanding that both parties will be represented at the hearings and that no further postponement will be granted. The time of oral arguments allocated to each party will remain as initially planned. “Again the Court wishes to remind the Parties that the written proceedings, in this case, are already closed. The parties should proceed to the hearings in accordance with the Rules of Court,” the letter stated.

Kenya has been hoping for an out of court settlement on the matter but Somalia has insisted on letting the court decide. On August 28, 2014, Somalia wrote to the International Court of Justice in an application to institute proceedings against Kenya with regard to concerning maritime delimitation in the Indian Ocean”.