Hiiraan Online
Saturday December 23, 2017
Mogadishu (HOL) - Residents of Beled-Hawo on Saturday protested against the construction of a security wall along Kenya- Somalia border.
Kenya announced in 2015 that it will begin construction a 700Km long security wall along its Northeastern region border with Somalia to curb cross-border terror attack by Al-Shabaab militants.
The locals have accused Kenyan government of encroaching into Somalia's land.
Ibrahim Abdi Kaskay, a local journalist in the town confirmed demonstrations saying the irate locals have blamed Kenya’s alleged move to build a security wall inside Somalia.
"Kenya government resumed the construction of the security wall. Residents blamed the government of Kenya for starting building the wall inside Somalia," said Kaskay.
Elder Diiriye Adow said that Kenya has been carrying out attempts to construct the wall inside Somalia since Thursday.
"The workers of Kenya's security wall are building the wall inside Beled-Hawo, the residents of the town are unhappy with the move," Adow.
Hiraan Online cannot authoritatively confirm the construction of the wall inside Somalia.
Last year, Somali government dispatched committee to Beled-Hawa following public outcry over similar allegations.
The committee later dismissed the allegations after they visited the construction site.
Maritime dispute
Somalia and Kenya are in dispute over a potential lucrative triangle which stretches 100,000 square km of offshore territory believed to contain large oil and gas deposits.
In 2014, Somalia officially filed 150-page court filling on Maritime border dispute at the International Court of Justice at Hague.
Somalia won the first round of the hearing on its case before ICJ.
Responding to ICJ, On 18th December 2017, Kenya maintained its position for a negotiated settlement to the maritime dispute.
In 2009, Somalia and Kenya signed MoU which later Somali government accused Kenya of paralyzing it.