•Somalia announced it had cut its diplomatic ties with Kenya citing constant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
•Minister of Information Osman Dubbe said Mogadishu will in the next seven days withdraw all its diplomats from Kenya.
Image: COURTESY
Kenya has not received any official communication from Somalia about the latter cutting its diplomatic ties.
The Ministry on Tuesday told the Star it could only take up the matter once it was officially notified.
"We are waiting... I think this a question you should be asking their end....why they do public announcements without official communication. I mean we have not received any formal communication," A senior officer at Kenya's Foreign Affairs said.
Somalia announced it had cut its diplomatic ties with Kenya citing constant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Minister of Information Osman Dubbe said Mogadishu will in the next seven days withdraw all its diplomats from Kenya.
The officer further said since Mogadishu expelled Kenya's Ambassador Lucas Tumbo, they have not received formal communication.
But he did not disclose whether Tumbo left Mogadishu or if the Kenyan delegation will leave the country within the seven days.
Earlier, Government spokesman Cyrus Oguna said Kenya will not follow the same route taken by Somalia.
Oguna said instead of Nairobi retaliating, it will set up a team to seek a diplomatic solution.
“We are a higher nation, we cannot do the same thing Somalia has done. If we do so it will look like revenge hence, we will let the IGAD and Comesa take control of it,” Oguna said.
He added, “There is a commonality between the two countries. Anything that is going to undermine that must be addressed".
Kenya hosts more than 200,000 Somalis who fled the decades-old civil war that eventually gave birth to terrorism.
Through the AMISOM, Kenya Defence Forces troops are also involved in a peace mission in Somalia.
EXPERTS VIEW
International Relations expert Macharia Munene told the Star that Kenya and Somalia are in their equal rights to protect their interests.
Munene said what president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is doing is using Kenya as a scapegoat to internal affairs that have crippled his administration.
"These are the same countries that gave money to Somalia to launch the maritime case at the ICJ. They have oil operation licenses to explore and using Somalia to hit on Kenya because it is an easy target," he said.
Problems between the two countries have escalated because Kenya is pushing to have al-Shabaab profiled as a terrorist group.
"But the same pro-foreign powers objected to Kenya's bid saying it would negatively affect ordinary Somali's," Munene said.
Munene said at one point, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea wanted to sign a treaty that appeared to gang against Kenya.
This was amid their efforts to centralise power which sparked a rebellion that sparked violence in countries like Ethiopia.
He said Farmajo's hopes were dubbed when Ethiopia's PM Abiy Ahmed bolted from the deal and made a big about turn visiting Kenya for the opening of Moyale one-stop border post and the Lapsset project.
"Farmajo was hoping that the treaty would help him divert attention by using external tension with Kenya to hide his internal conflict," Munene said.
"In fact with such a move, Somali's living in Nairobi with big businesses and those in the Miraa sector will be most hurt by Farmajo's behavior which is now worrying.," he said.
"The problem is that he is not in charge of Somalia affairs because he is a proxy and someone else is calling for the shots."
Munene said instead of Kenya reacting, it should play low and work to see how it can maneuver without escalating the issues.
"Kenya is a big brother and if it moved, any action would be big with a long term economic effects," he said.
Munene's sentiments were echoed by a senior diplomat at the Ministry who said the current situation is all about President Farmajo political tactics for his re-election.
"I think you also remember the Farmajo ii Geeya slogan. (Take me to Farmajo) on the night of the election 4years ago. He campaigned on an anti-Ethiopian platform that helped him overrun other presidential height weights ," he said.
"This was purely on this anti-Ethiopia campaign, maybe the same native is at play, which I believe is no longer alive," the diplomat said.
He said Farmajo is now the closest Ethiopian Ally in the region.
"There is a big political unsettled dispute on the formation of electoral committee between a Farmajo and a group of presidential candidates for a couple of weeks now, as election date on February 2020. Big demonstration is underway in Mogadishu against the Farmajo administration," he said.