Top Somali lawyer in maritime dispute case with Kenya dies in Mogadishu

Engineer Mohamed Omar Salihi died on Thursday in Mogadishu after a short illness [Photo: Facebook]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A top Somali advocate who has been directly involved in the controversial Indian Ocean maritime border row with Kenya has died in Mogadishu, state media reported, in what could be a blow to the Horn of Africa nation.

Engineer Mohamed Omar Salihi died on Thursday in Mogadishu after a short illness but details about his situation were not immediately revealed. The state did not also mention the name of the hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

Salihi delivered Somalia’s final submission at the International Court of Justice [ICJ] during the court’s hearing about the maritime delimitation case between Somalia and Kenya in March 2021.

State media termed him a "key member" in the legal team of the maritime border dispute with Kenya, an indication that he has been a dependable member for many years now, including during preparations of submissions at the International Court of Justice [ICJ].

"Eng. Mohamed Omar Salihi, a key member of Somalia’s legal team involved in the maritime case between Somalia and Kenya at the ICJ has passed away in Mogadishu on Thursday," state media reported in a tweet.

At the time of going on air, Villa Somalia had not commented on the matter but Somalia would likely mourn him given the passion given to the border row. The matter was first raised by Somalia in 2014 when Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was the president.

With no amicable solution, Somalia moved to the ICJ for arbitration. Although Kenya delayed in making submissions forcing the court to postpone the matter thrice, Nairobi finally made the submissions in March 2021.

Both parties are now awaiting a judgment from the Hague but the matter has significantly affected the relationship between Kenya and Somalia. Although the bilateral ties were restored recently, the two nations have previously been forced to shut down their respective embassies.

Last month, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble visited Kenya where he had talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta. A statement from Kenya's State House indicated that they discussed maritime border row but it would later be deleted.

In a media conference after returning from Kenya, Mohamed Hussein Roble downplayed claims that he had engaged the Kenyan president over the matter. He noted: "The maritime case will be arbitrated by the ICJ, we don't have a role in discussing a matter in court."

Some sources claim Kenya has been asking the African Union to persuade Somalia to withdraw the matter from the International Court of Justice. However, such moves are yet to be achieved with Somalia insisting that it's not willing to engage Kenya in dialogue.

GAROWE ONLINE