World Court Rules Mostly With Somalia In Border Dispute With Kenya

 

Reuters: World Court sides mostly with Somalia in border dispute with Kenya  

THE HAGUE (Reuters) -The top U.N. top court ruled on Tuesday largely in favour of Somalia in its dispute with Kenya, setting a sea boundary in part of the Indian Ocean believed to be rich in oil and gas. 

Somalia said the ruling was a result of "sacrifice and struggle" by the Horn of Africa country. 

A new boundary drawn by the International Court of Justice was closest to a line proposed by Somalia, attributing to it several offshore oil blocks claimed by Kenya. 

The revised maritime border along the exclusive economic zones for the continental shelves of Somalia and Kenya "achieves and equitable solution", Judge Joan Donoghue said. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Will Kenya pull a "China and its claims on the South China Sea" and decide to ignore this ruling? We will know in the coming weeks.

More News On The World Court Ruling Mostly With Somalia In Its Border Dispute With Kenya 

ICJ rejects Kenya case in Somalia maritime border row -- BBC  

International court backs Somalia in sea dispute with Kenya -- AP 

ICJ rules in Somalia's favor in maritime dispute with Kenya -- Washington Post  

ICJ sides with Somalia in Kenya maritime border dispute -- DW  

Kenya loses maritime border dispute with Somalia at The Hague -- Garowe Online

Maritime Dispute Between Kenya And Somalia Intensifies

BBC: Kenya withdraws from ICJ case over Somalia sea border at last minute 

Kenya will not take part in Monday's hearings over its maritime border dispute with Somalia at the International Court of Justice, government sources have told the BBC.

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. The area is thought to be rich in oil and gas. 

Read more .... 

Update #1: Kenya boycotts ICJ hearing on Somalia sea boundary row (Al Jazeera) 

Update #2: ICJ rejects Kenya’s request to address it before start of maritime border case with Somalia (The Standard) 

WNU Editor: This is what the dispute is all about .... Explained: The Indian Ocean border dispute between Kenya and Somalia (Indian Express).

Somalia Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Kenya

 

France 24: Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Kenya after breakaway region’s leader visits Nairobi

Somalia cut diplomatic relations with neighboring Kenya on Tuesday, accusing it of meddling in politics as protests and gunfire erupted in the capital Mogadishu over delayed elections. 

The dispute could undermine cooperation in the fight against the Islamist group al Shabaab in Somalia, where Kenya provides 3,600 troops to an African Union peacekeeping force. 

"Somalia calls back all its diplomats from Kenya and orders Kenyan diplomats to leave Somalia within seven days," Somali Information Minister Osman Dube told the state news agency. 

Read more .... 

 More News On Somalia Cutting Diplomatic Ties With Kenya 

Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Kenya -- DW 

Somalia cuts ties with Kenya, shots fired at Mogadishu protests -- Reuters 

Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Kenya amid rising tensions -- AP 

Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Kenya citing interference -- Al Jazeera

Al-Shabaab Is Claiming To Have Killed Dozens Of Kenyan Soldiers In Their Army Base In Somalia

The Guardian: Al-Shabaab claims to have killed dozens of Kenyan troops in Somalia

Islamic militant group says it has killed 57 soldiers in takeover of peacekeeping base near border

Islamic militants in Somalia claim to have killed dozens of Kenyan troops after their fighters overran a remote military base in the country.

A spokesman for al-Shabaab, which has been fighting an insurgency in Somalia for more than a decade, said its fighters had killed at least 57 Kenyans deployed with a regional peacekeeping mission at the base in Kulbiyow, near the Kenyan border.

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters news agency the group was still pursuing “the Kenyan soldiers who ran away into the woods” after Friday morning’s attack.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Al-Shabaab Attack On A Kenya Army Base In Somalia

Somalia's al Shabaab says kills dozens of Kenyan troops in raid on base -- Reuters
Shabaab attacks Kenya army base in Somalia -- AFP
Al-Shabab fighters attack Kenya military base in Somalia -- BBC
Al-Shabaab attacks Kenyan army base in Somalia, claims it killed 51 soldiers -- Straits Times/Bloomberg
KDF denies al Shabaab claim of 66 deaths, working to take back camp -- The Star
KDF denies 57 soldiers dead in al-Shabaab suicide bombing at Kulbiyow military camp -- International Business Times
Al-Shabaab, Kenya trade claims in morning attack in Somalia -- News24
Conflicting reports after 'scores killed' in Somalia attack -- USA Today

Kenya Abandons Key Bases In Somalia

BBC: Kenya troops 'pull out of Somali el-Ade and Badhadhe bases'

Kenyan forces have pulled out from two military bases in Somalia, including one attacked by militant Islamist group al-Shabab, residents have told the BBC.

Al-Shabab fighters have seized the southern town of Badhadhe after the troops retreated, a local MP said.

Soldiers also left el-Ade, where al-Shabab said it had killed about 100 Kenyan soldiers 11 days ago.

A Kenyan army spokesman said troops were involved in a "normal operational manoeuvre" and not a withdrawal.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This withdrawal is raising concerns, and not surprising the Kenyans are now trying to reassure everyone that they will remain .... Kenya to Keep Troops in Somalia Backing African Union Force (Bloomberg). Unfortunately .... the bottom line is that they are leaving, at least from these two key bases.

More News On Kenya Abandoning Two Key Bases In Somalia

Kenyan Troops Pull Out of Somali Towns After Deadly Attack -- NYT/AP
Kenyan troops abandon Somali camp to al Shabaab militants -- Reuters
Kenyan troops withdraw from two bases in southern Somalia -- UPI
Kenyan troops withdraw from El- Ade base in Somalia after attack -- Africa News

Kenya Bombs al-Shabaab Camps In Somalia

New York Times: Kenyan Fighter Jets Bomb Shabab Training Camps in Somalia

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan fighter jets bombed two training camps of the Shabab militant group in Somalia, defense officials said on Monday, the first military response to the attack on a university last week that killed nearly 150 students.

Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, had vowed to respond “in the severest way possible” to the massacre at the university.

Military officials said it was difficult to assess the damage because of heavy cloud cover. Kenya has carried out bombing raids in Somalia after terrorist assaults in the past, and the Shabab militants, knowing what was coming, have often abandoned their camps after major attacks.

More News On Kenya Bombing Al-Shabaab Camps In Somalia

Kenya bombs Somalia al-Shabab bases after Garissa attack -- BBC
Kenya says destroys two al Shabaab camps in Somalia -- Reuters
Kenyan warplanes attack suspected militant positions -- AP
Kenyan airstrikes target Shebab after university massacre -- AFP
Kenya, avenging college massacre, bombs al-Shabab camps in Somalia -- Washington Post
Kenyan Jets Bomb Al-Shabaab in Somalia After College Attack -- Bloomberg
Kenyan Airsrikes Target Al-Shabab in Somalia -- VOA
Kenya bombs al-Shabab in Somalia -- UPI
Kenya bombs Al Shabab targets amid outcry over response to Garissa attack -- CSM
Kenya launches air strikes on Al-Shabab -- Al Jazeera
Kenya Launches Airstrikes Against Al-Shabab In Somalia After Garissa University Attack -- IBTimes

Kenyan Airstrike Kills Dozens Of Militants In Somalia

Kenyan Troops 'Kill 60 Al-Shabab Fighters' In Somalia -- BBC

The Kenyan army says it has killed 60 Somali al-Shabab militia fighters in air strikes and is determined to "break their spine completely".

A further 20 of the Islamist fighters defected in recent weeks, army spokesman Col Cyrus Oguna told reporters in the Kenyan capital.

But al-Shabab responded by promising to defeat the Kenyans.

It is extremely hard to verify reports from inside Somalia and the two sides' versions of events differ widely.

Read more ....

More News On Kenya's Airstrike Against Al-Shabab Fighters

'Al-Shabab men killed’ in Kenyan air raid -- Al Jazeera
Kenyan jets kill '60 or more' Somali militants -- AFP
Kenyan Airstrikes Kill Dozens of Militants in Somalia -- Voice of America
Kenya Military Kills 60 Al-Shabaab Fighters in Air Strike -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Somalia: Air Strikes Hit Militant-Held Southern Region Villages -- AllAfrica.com
Kenyan jets kill '60 or more' Somali Islamist insurgents -- Daily Star
Kenya says kills 50 Shabaab fighters in airstrikes -- Reuters

Kenya Reports Heavy Fighting In Somalia

Kenya: Dozens Killed In Southern Somalia -- Voice of America

The Kenyan military says dozens of Somali militants and at least 11 Somali government troops were killed in a battle a few days ago.

In a statement Tuesday, a Kenyan military spokesman said more than 40 al-Shabab fighters were killed and many others injured during intense fighting in the southern Somali town of Hayo.

Major Emmanuel Chirchir said Somali government casualties from the fighting totaled 11 dead, 54 injured. He said there were no Kenyan casualties in the clash.

Read more ....

More News On Somalia's Civil War

Dozens killed in southern Somalia clash -- Reuters
Kenyan military reports dozens killed in Somalia -- Boston.com/AP
40 Al Shabaab killed in air strikes -- The Standard
Somali bomb blast kills four after suspect is returned to car -- The Guardian
Suicide bomber strikes near Turkish embassy in Mogadishu -- Reuters
Mogadishu 'suicide car bomb kills Somali police' -- BBC
Why an open-ended military campaign in Somalia may prove to be very expensive -- Business Daily Africa

The War Against al-Shabab In Somalia Intensifies

(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Encircling Somalia
The Obama administration’s strategy for countering al-Qaeda’s affiliate in war-torn Somalia is to train and finance African peacekeeping forces, strengthen security alliances with other countries in East Africa, and conduct drone missions from bases to the north, east and west. Source: Staff reports. Graphic by the Washington Post.

U.S. Intensifies Its Proxy Fight Against al-Shabab In Somalia -- Washington Post

The Obama administration is intensifying its campaign against an al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia by boosting the number of proxy forces in the war-torn country, expanding drone operations and strengthening military partnerships throughout the region.

In many ways, the American role in the long-running conflict in Somalia is shaping up as the opposite of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: relatively inexpensive, with limited or hidden U.S. footprints.

Read more ....

More News On The War In Somalia

E. Africa Summit Mulls Strategy for Crushing Somalia Extremist Group -- Voice of America
African Union Force Makes Strides Inside Somalia -- New York Times
U.S. Intensifies Its Proxy Fight Against al-Shabab In Somalia -- RadioVop
Kenyan and Somali troops attack militant bases -- Reuters
Somalia: Kenyan troops destroy Al Shabaab camps -- The Standard
Kenyan soldier killed after airstrikes on Somali rebels -- AFP
Somali militants killed Kenyan soldier -- The Telegraph
Four killed in Mogadishu explosion -- AFP
Blast hits Kenya army truck near Somalia border -- Reuters
Somalia: Bomb Blast Hits Govt Army Vehicle in Mogadishu -- allAfrica.com
Fatal Attacks Tied to Raid by Kenya -- New York Times
3 dead, 26 wounded in wave of attacks in northern Kenya; 1 attack provokes backlash -- Washington Post/AP
Grenade attacks kill three in Kenya: police -- AFP
Somalis Skeptical of Ethiopian Incursion -- Voice of America

Kenya Accuses Eritrea Of Supporting Somalia's Rebels

Kenya Warns Eritrea About Alleged Arming of Al-Shabab -- Voice of America

Kenya has threatened to take unspecified action against Eritrea on suspicion that the country is supplying the Somali militant group al-Shabab.

Kenya's foreign minister Moses Wetangula summoned Eritrea's ambassador for a meeting in Nairobi Friday. Afterward, he told a news conference that he had “raised concern” about intelligence Kenya has showing arms flowing from Eritrea to al-Shabab.

Read more ....

More News On Who Is Supporting Somalia's Extremist Groups Al-Shabab

Kenya raises concerns Eritrea arming Somalia’s al-Shabab insurgency with secret flights -- Washington Post/AP
Kenya raises concerns Eritrea arming Somali rebels -- AP
Arms Flying Into Somalia for Militants, Kenya Says -- New York Times
Kenyan military says it will destroy weapons it says were flown into Somalia for militants -- Washington Post
Kenya Upset by Alleged Al-Shabab/Eritrea Arms Deal -- Voice of America
Kenya Warns Against Flights in Somalia Amid Arms Shipments -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Eritrea Denies Reports it Sent Arms to Al-Shabab -- Voice of America
Eritrea denies sending weapons to al-Shabab in Somalia -- BBC
Q&A: Who's Supporting Al-Shabab? -- Voice of America

My Comment: Someone is supplying weapons to Al-Shabab .... and my money is on Eritrea.

Kenya's Military Incursion Into Somalia -- News Updates November 1, 2011

Kenya Military Chief Suggests Somalia Incursion Could Be Long -- L.A. Times

Gen. Julius Karangi declares that his troops will remain in neighboring Somalia until the threat from the militant Islamist militia Shabab is eliminated and Kenyans feel safe.

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya—The commander of Kenya's defense forces declared Saturday that his troops would remain in neighboring Somalia until the threat from the militant Islamist militia Shabab is eliminated and Kenyans feel safe.

Given the messiness of other countries' incursions in Somalia, the vow by defense forces chief Gen. Julius Karangi suggests that Kenya's first military adventure since independence nearly half a century ago could be a long one.

Read more ....

More News On Kenya's Military Incursion Into Somalia

Kenya's military chief says army will leave when border is safe -- Africa Review
Kenya to Stay in Somalia Until Safe From Al-Shabab Menace -- Voice of America
Kenya, Somalia Plea for Help Battling al-Shabab -- Voice of America
Kenya, Somalia Request International Help to Fight Al-Shabab -- Voice of America
Somalis fleeing famine killed by Kenyan raid, aid group says -- L.A. Times
Kenyan air strike in Somalia 'kills five and wounds dozens' -- The Guardian
Aid Group Says Airstrike Kills 5 at Somali Camp -- Voice of America
Bombardment of Somali Refugee Camp Is Symbolic of Kenya's Doomed Invasion -- Time
Aid can't get through to many Somalia famine victims, expert says -- L.A. Times
A history of conflict in Somalia -- ABC News (Australia)

Kenya's Military Incursion Into Somalia -- News Updates October 28, 2011

Bodies of African Union peacekeepers from Burundi were laid out after a battle last week with the Shabab near Mogadishu. Feisal Omar/Reuters

Somali Islamist Militants Rally Against Kenya -- New York Times

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Islamist militants rallied hundreds of supporters outside Somalia’s capital on Thursday to call for attacks on Kenya, saying, “We want huge blasts,” while Kenyan authorities reported an assault inside Kenya, with at least four people killed in an ambush near the Somali border.

While it remained unclear who was responsible for the attack — in which a rocket-propelled grenade was shot at a car in northern Kenya — it comes just days after twin grenade attacks rocked Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, which the police say were linked to the Somali Islamist militants known as the Shabab.

Read more ....

More News On Kenya's Military Incursion Into Somalia

Kenya Army Fight First Direct Battle With al-Shabaab; 9 Dead -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Kenyans in first al-Shabab battle in Somalia -- BBC
Explosion rocks Kenyan security vehicle after military action in Somalia -- National Post
Explosion hits Kenyan security forces vehicle -- Reuters
Kenya officers hurt in suspected landmine blast -- AFP
Somali militants call for ‘huge blow’ against Kenya -- Financial Times
UN: Fighting on Somalia-Kenya Border Restricting Famine Relief -- Voice of America
Are Kenyans seeking a buffer zone in Somalia? -- BBC
US Says No Participation in Kenya's Somalia Operation -- Voice of America
Is Kenya Battling al-Shabab Alone? -- Gabe Joselow, Voice of America
A lot to lose - Kenya's Somali gambit -- Andrew Harding, BBC

Al-Shabaab Leaders In Somalia Want To Negotiate With Kenya

Al-Shabaab Leaders Contact Kenyan Government To Negotiate -- CNN

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- Conflicting accounts emerged Thursday over whether the extremist group Al-Shabaab has signaled a desire to negotiate with Kenya amid a Kenyan military offensive targeting the group.

"They want to talk," said a Kenyan official who did not want to be named because he is not authorized to talk to the media.

A spokesman for the Kenyan government, however, disputed that account and said Kenya wouldn't talk with Al-Shabaab even if the group did want to negotiate.

Read more ....

More News On The War Between Kenya And Al-Shabaab

Kenya Reports First Direct Clash With al-Shabab in Somalia -- Voice of America
Somali rebel commander urges Kenya attacks -- AFP
Somali Islamist militants call for 'mujahideen trained by Osama' -- The Telegraph
Kenya says 9 militants killed as troops battle Somali militants; al-Shabab promises revenge -- Washington Post/AP
Kenya: Four killed in attack close to the Somali border -- BBC
Kenya Plans to Exit Somalia Once Al-Shabaab Is ‘Destroyed’ -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Is Kenya Battling al-Shabab Alone? -- Voice of America
A lot to lose - Kenya's Somali gambit -- BBC

Kenya's Military Continues Its Push In Somalia

Somali Rebels Fortify Defenses, Blast Kills Six In Capital -- Reuters

Al Qaeda-linked militants prepared to defend a south Somali town on Tuesday from advancing Kenyan and government troops, while a suicide car bomb killed six people in Mogadishu during a visit by a Kenyan minister.

Facing muddy terrain and heavy rains, residents tried to flee Afmadow as the town braced for the next phase of an offensive launched on Sunday by Kenya, along with Somali forces, in a risky bid to secure the border with its anarchic neighbor.

Read more ....

More News On Kenya's Military Incursion Into Somalia

Kenyan Troops Advance in Somalia, Pursuing Al-Shabab -- Voice of America
Kenyan incursion into Somalia provokes threat from Islamic militants -- The Telegraph
Kenya says not at war with but trying to stabilize Somalia -- Xinhuanet
Somalia called us to fight Shabaab, says Kenya -- Capital FM News
Following Troops, Kenyan Officials Go to Somalia -- New York Times
Kenya Faces Somalia Quagmire After U.S., Ethiopian Failures -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Was Kenya right to enter Somalia? -- BBC
Kenya Invades Somalia. Does It Get Any Dumber? -- Alex Perry, Time

Kenyan Soldiers Advance Even More Into Somalia -- News Roundup October 18, 2011

Kenyan Troops Advance in Somalia, Pursuing Al-Shabab -- Voice of America

Kenyan forces have entered a second part of southern Somalia as part of operations against militant group al-Shabab.

Officials and witnesses confirmed to VOA Somali Service Tuesday that Kenyan troops, backed by helicopters, moved through the border town of El-Waq on Monday and are now in Somalia's Gedo region.

Kenyan troops have also been seen near the al-Shabab-controlled town of Afmadow in the Jubba region. Residents are reported to be fleeing the town in fear of a battle.

Read more ....

More News On Kenya's Military Incursion Into Somalia

Kenyan troops press assault on Somali group linked to al Qaida -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News
Officials: Kenyan Troops Advancing Towards Militant-Held Somali Town -- RTT News
Heavy rains slow Kenyan army’s hunt for militants inside Somalia -- Washington Post
Kenya troops 'advance into Somalia near Afmadow' -- BBC
Al-Shabaab launches Mogadishu car bomb attack as Kenyan assault intensifies -- The Telegraph
Somali militants al-Shabab threaten Kenya retaliation -- BBC
Al-Shabab warns Kenya -- The Hindu/AFP
Al-Shabaab angered by Kenyan breach -- UPI
Somali militants threaten revenge attacks after Kenyan incursion -- L.A. Times
Kenya on alert over al-Shabab terror attacks -- Deutsche Welle
Analyst: Kenya Should Expect 'Repercussions' From al-Shabab -- Voice of America
Kenya's growing influence in Somalia -- Al Jazeera
Analysis: Kenyan fears over Somalia al-Shabaab mission -- The Telegraph
Q&A: Who are Somalia's al-Shabab? -- BBC

Kenyan Troops Enter Somalia In Pursuit Of Islamic Rebels

Kenya Sends Its Forces Into Somalia -- The Telegraph

Kenya launched a military incursion against an Islamist militant group in Somalia on Sunday in retaliation for a wave of kidnappings of foreigners that has blighted its tourism industry.

Witnesses said Kenyan troops crossed the border to an operations point 60 miles inside Somali territory, preparing for raids on the al-Shabaab faction, a terrorist outfit linked to al-Qaeda.

There were reports of large troop movements in Kenya's border regions, with truckloads of soldiers heading towards the frontier, backed by military planes and helicopters overhead.

Read more ....

More News On Kenya's Incursion Into Somalia

Kenyan Troops Push Into Somalia -- Wall Street Journal
Kenya troops move into Somalia to pursue kidnappers -- BBC
Kenya deploys troops in Somalia after kidnappings -- Reuters
Kenyan Forces Enter Somalia to Battle Militants -- New York Times
Kenyan troops move into Somalia -- The Guardian
Kenya pursues al-Shabaab militia -- China Daily
Kenya sends in troops to Somalia in pursuit of al-Shabaab militants -- The Independent
Kenyan troops in Somalia to attack rebels -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP

War Between Somali Extremists And Kenya?

Al-Shabaab islamist fighters sit on a truck as they patrol to provide security for Somali demonstrators in Mogadishu, Somalia Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Photo from Islamization Watch

Somalia's Shebab Warn Kenya Over Planned Onslaught -- AFP

NAIROBI — Somalia's Al Qaeda-inspired Shebab warned Kenya on Wednesday against providing military assistance to the Mogadishu government for a planned massive nationwide offensive against the militia.

Tension has been building up in Mogadishu and other key cities, including the Shebab-controlled southern port of Kismayo, as government troops backed by African Union forces and clan militia reportedly prepare for their much-anticipated offensive to reconquer southern and central Somalia.

Read more ....

Update: Somali Youth Movement Declare 'Holy War' on Kenya -- Asharq al-Awsat

My Comment: This gives and indication of what may happen in the region if Islamic extremists are successful in taking over Somalia .... war spreading to other countries that have a long history of internal strife and conflict.