End Kenya-Somalia feud

As neighbours, Kenya and Somalia need to work closely together to overcome the serious challenges they face. The most immediate is the terrorist threat, whose major casualties are the innocent citizens. Of course, it is worse for Somalia, whose government has no control over large swathes of its territory. Al-Shabaab attacks persist despite the efforts by the international community.

Kenya, whose northeastern region has seen communications infrastructure, especially mobile telephony masts, sabotaged, has sacrificed a lot to help stabilise Somalia. Our troops continue to serve under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) — a huge burden in the lives and resources lost.

It is, therefore, disappointing that the Somali federal government in Mogadishu, whose installation was made possible with the contributions of some countries, including Kenya, the AU and United Nations, is now engaging in activities that smack of betrayal. Mogadishu has accused Kenya of territorial violations. The friction stems from Kenya’s apparent close ties with the Jubbaland state government, which it sees as a buffer against incursions by Al-Shabaab insurgents.

A team appointed by Djibouti’s President Ismael Guelleh did not find any substance in Somalia’s allegations. The continuing fallout between the two countries is, unfortunately, proving to be a blessing to the terrorists. A stable Somalia would be a boon to the region. And that is Kenya’s dream as it seeks to secure the porous long border between the two countries.

Just like tiffs among siblings, spats between neighbouring countries often occur, but fidelity to a mechanism for resolving such conflicts ensures that peace prevails for mutual benefit. Kenya needs to trade with Somalia and vice versa, and the incessant quarrels make this difficult. Somalia is a good market for Kenya’s miraa but trading is hampered by conflict.

The two countries, which recently broke off their diplomatic ties, must reach out to each other for serious and genuine talks to end the impasse, which benefits neither.