MOGADISHU (SD) – Somalia has opposed Kenya’s request to postpone the maritime dispute case between the countries just a month before the case hearing commence at International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a press conference on Thursday, Information Minister Osman Dubbe said Somalia wrote protest letter to the court, calling dismissal Kenya’s appeal to delay maritime dispute case.

“We have rejected Kenya ‘s fourth request to the ICJ to postpone the two countries’ maritime case. Justice delayed is justice denied. We should be set to head to the Hague court on the 15th of March,” he said.

The oral proceedings will resume mid next month.

Mystery of missing map

Both Somalia and Kenya are contesting ownership of a triangular territory measuring 100,000km2 in the Indian Ocean boundary.

The minister said Nairobi argued that there is no substantive administration in Mogadishu.

“Kenya claimed that Somalia has no government and that is part of her attempts to encroach on owner land. The Federal Government has however indicated there is no vacuum at that Farmaajo will be legitimately in office until a new president is elected,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kenya claimed in its letter to ICJ that one of the ‘crucial maps’ it intended to use in its defence had ‘mysteriously vanished’.

“While the adverse effect of the pandemic has occasioned Kenya’s inability to access this document and other additional material evidence that it hoped to secure for presentation to the court in advance of hearing, Kenya has nevertheless gathered significant evidence, which it wishes to present to the court,” Mr Kariuki writes in the letter addressed to Mr Philippe Gautier, the court’s registrar.

The claim by Kenya was strongly refuted by Somalia saying Kenya tries to escape the case hearing by just presenting valueless exercises.