Somalia and Kenya agreed to normalize their diplomatic relations nearly after two months of diplomatic tensions over a maritime border dispute.
Foreign Ministers of both countries on Wednesday held a meeting in Nairobi where they expressed a strong desire to normalize relations. There was an agreement that their respective ambassadors should return to their diplomatic postings in Nairobi and Mogadishu.
On February 17, the Kenyan government had recalled its envoy to Mogadishu for consultations while Somalia envoy to Kenya also was recalled by his country for further directions.
The diplomatic tension between Kenya and Somalia prompted the intervention of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia. He mediated talks between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Somalia’s Mohammed Abdullahi Farmajo where both of the leaders have agreed to work towards peace and to take measures in addressing particular issues that escalated the tensions.
The tension came following Somalia’s decision to offer potential oil fields lying in a disputed 62,000 square mile Indian Ocean triangle to foreign investors at a London auction on February 7. Somalia however denied to have auctioned the oil field in UK.
Kenya hosts the largest population of Somali refugees and has troops serving in the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), helping Somali government forces to battle against the Al-Qaeda-linked armed group, Al-Shabaab.
