Kenya denies interfering with Somalia’s internal affairs

By:Nation

Kenya has rejected claims it is interfering with Somalia’s internal affairs and dismissed them as “fabricated for political expediency”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has written a protest note to Mogadishu in response to a statement issued on Friday by Somali Ambassador to the UN, Abukar Dahir Osman, who said Nairobi was destabilising his country.

“Kenya rejects the unwarranted and invalid allegations made by the Federal Government of Somalia and takes great exception to the fabricated indictments of interfering in Somalia’s internal affairs,” Nairobi’s protest note, seen by the Nation, said.

“These baseless accusations are part of a growing and persistent pattern of ill intent to use Kenya as a scapegoat and tool to justify unfulfilled legitimate and social demands in Somalia and for political mileage.

“Kenya will not accept to be used in that manner and encourages the Federal Government of Somalia to stop the campaign and use the energy to deliver leadership to their people.”

ENVOY’S WARNING

“Kenya continues to be a destabilising force for Somalia. Kenya’s continuous encroachment into Somalia’s border areas outrightly undermines our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he told the UN Security Council sitting on Thursday, referring to the border squabbles.

“If these aforementioned actions do not immediately cease, we will invoke United Nations Charter, Article 35, and bring our case against Kenya’s breach of our sovereignty …to the UN Security Council.”

The said article allows a member state to bring any dispute or situation likely to endanger international security, to the attention of the council.

TENSIONS

The two countries have had difficult relations for the past two years, related to Mogadishu’s legal suit against Nairobi at the International Court of Justice, over a maritime border. The case is due in June.

But there have been accusations recently, especially as Kenya supports the Jubbaland administration of Ahmed Madobe, which Mogadishu has refused to recognise

Kenya, however, said it considers accusations by Mogadishu an “insincere attempt by the Federal Government of Somalia to create artificial fissures in the relations between the Republic of Kenya and the Federal Republic of Somalia for short term political expediency”.

Nairobi said it is paying the price of fighting terror group Al-Shabaab just as much as Somalia and that it supports a concerted peace bid.