Mending Kenya-Somalia ties

Kenya and her neighbour to the West, Somalia, have started a journey of re-building their bilateral relations after months of a public spat.

Towards the end of 2020, Somalian authorities severed diplomatic ties with Kenya in the dead of night citing interference and violation of her sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The two countries publicly exposed their differences to the point Somalia withdrew all its diplomats from Kenya, ordering Kenyan diplomats to leave the country within 7 days.

On Wednesday, July 14, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Macharia Kamau met Somalia ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Nur to discuss the two country’s ties.

In the closed-door meeting, the duo explored new areas of cooperation between the two countries aiming at deepening the broken relationship.

“Ambassador Macharia Kamau held bilateral talks with Amb Mohamed Ali Nur, Somalia Ambassador to Kenya and explored new areas of cooperation in the field of culture, trade, ICT, peace and Security. The two looked forward to deepening relations,” the Ministry of Foreign affairs tweeted.

Mogadishu's move to cut ties with Kenya came after President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted President Muse Bihi of the break-away Somaliland at State House Nairobi.

Government Spokesman retired colonel Cyrus Oguna said Nairobi had constituted a committee to examine the issues causing rifts between the two neighbours.

Oguna said the committee was to explore diplomatic means to resolve them which to date, has made significant progress.

In June 2021, Kenya and Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Ministers agreed to speed up the re-opening of embassies in each other’s countries.

Amb Raychelle Omamo and her Somalia counterpart Mohamed Abdirizak Mahamud said they arrived at the decision after a telephone conversation.