Hiiraan Online

Wednesday January 27, 2021

NAIROBI (HOL) -  Kenya has welcomed the IGAD report on its tussle with Somalia noting that it had confirmed that the accusations were unfounded.

Reacting to the Fact Finding report commissioned by IGAD chairman Omar Guelleh, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was satisfied with the report and that it will no longer be drawn into disputes with its neighbour.

Kenya added that it was now ‘clear that the decision by Somalia to severe diplomatic relations with Kenya was uncalled for and has negatively impacted the lives of Somali nations who seek relief and amenities in Kenya’.

Somalia on the other hand has cried foul over the report accusing Djibouti of playing to Kenya’s interests adding that the report was largely dictated by Nairobi.

Information Minister Osman Dube told journalists Wednesday in Mogadishu the IGAD team failed to visit Belet-Hawo and instead relied on information provided by Kenya. (See separate story).

The report which will be presented to the IGAD Secretariat and Heads of States and Governments has largely dismissed Somalia’s accusations noting there was no sufficient evidence to warrant a severance of relations.

“The Commission considers that these grievances, some of which are longstanding, do not appear to it to be sufficient to justify a diplomatic separation between Kenya and Somalia,” the report said.

It also criticized Somalia’s accusations against Kenyan forces under AMISOM that they had left locations under their guard without consulting the Federal Government.

“On the charges brought against the Kenyan troops under the authority of Amisom, the commission considers unjustified this ostracism against the military forces acting on behalf of Amisom They fall under the responsibility of the African Union on whose behalf they act in the same way as its other troops of various nationalities,” the eight member team said.