Hiiraan Online
Thursday September 19, 2019
DJIBOUTI (HOL) - Djibouti has upped its voice against Kenya’s bid for a seat in the UN Security Council noting the East African nation cannot represent the interests of the region and the continent given its disputes with Somalia.
Speaking during a meeting with foreign ambassadors in his country, Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamud Ali Yusuf said Kenya could not be entrusted with the seat as ‘it is already involved in acts that deteriorate the stability of Somalia’.“We think Kenya is a threat to Somalia, Kenya could use its UNSC membership to exert pressure on Somalia over a maritime border dispute and that could escalate the situation,” Yusuf said.
The minister stated that Djibouti is concerned Kenya could use its position in the Security to further undermine Somalia.
“I hope such a country with that extent of threat cannot be entrusted with affairs of the region as well as that of the continent because if the dispute escalates, it can affect both countries and the region,” the minister warned.
Djibouti which slighly lost votes to Kenya in the AU vote for the continent’s choice in the Council has stood ground arguing it will push on with its bid to clinch the seat.
The Omar Guelleh-led administration took an about turn last month from the AU State Parties communique to accept Kenya to ‘to act in its name and on its behalf.’
The country’s UN Permanent Representative to Mohamed Siad Doualeh contracted his colleagues in Addis when he tweeted immediately after the AU vote that Djibouti would not pull out of the race.
“Djibouti reaffirms its decision to continue its bid to secure a seat at the Security Council for the period 2021-2022. We thank all UN member states that have formally expressed to support Djibouti,” Doualeh tweeted.
Relations between Kenya and Somalia have deteriorated in the last seven months as both countries await the verdict of the International Court of Justice later in the year.
Elections for the 2020-21 UN Security Council round will be held in June next year.