Geopolitical Brief
Kenya’s ambassador to Somalia Lt General (Rtd) Lucas Tumbo met Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awadh at the ministry headquarters in Mogadishu. The meeting discussed the relationship between the two neighboring countries and how to enhance cooperation.
Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement through its official social media accounts confirming that its minister for Foreign Affairs held talks with Kenya’s representative in the restive East African country. That the talks touched on the countries relations. Somalia is a fragile Horn state, a Muslim dominated federal state suffering from decades of ethno-political conflict and Islamic fundamentalism. The country’s restive state directly affects its neighbor Kenya. The countries share a long porous border. Jihadists have exploited the porousness to orchestrate terrorist events in Kenya.
The maritime conflict, albeit morphing to a diplomatic crisis and a legal stalemate at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), enhancing bilateral relations and means of joint cooperation between the two neighbors remain primary focus.
The meeting, according the Ministry officials emphasized on the depth of the relationship between the two neighboring East African countries. It’ll be interesting to understand what prompted the meeting. Various geopolitical and Federal Government Political dynamics areplaying out in the restive country, and these could be prompting keeping the diplomatic doors open.
