Somalia cuts diplomatic ties with Kenya, deploys troops at border

Kenya-Somalia diplomatic relations have severed in recent weeks with the latter blaming Kenya of meddling in its internal political affairs.

Somalia on Monday ordered all its diplomats in Kenya to leave within seven days while also ordering Kenyan diplomats to quit within the same period.

“Kenya continues meddling in our internal political affairs and it has ignored our previous calls to stop violating our sovereignty. We, therefore, declare that we have cut ties with Kenya over its poor violations on Somalia’s sovereignty.” Information Minister Osman Dubbe said in a televised broadcast late on Monday.

Kenya's friendly calls to Somaliland

Somaliland President Musa Abdi made a diplomatic visit to Kenya where he met President Uhuru Kenyatta including the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who also acts as the African Union convoy.

It was my pleasure to have a meeting with our nation's great friend, Raila Odinga in Nairobi... Discussed various topics on the security and development of the region,” he said in his Twitter account.

Odinga later said that time had come for the UN and African Union to accept the fate of Somaliland as a new country.

“AU needs to wake up to the reality that it is not going to be possible again to bring these two countries together, and recognize them as two separate countries,” Odinga said.

Kenya on Tuesday announced it will open a consulate in Hargeisa, the capital of the self-declared region of Somaliland. The region is still considered internationaly to be part of Somalia. The move by Nairobi is seen as a provocation towards Somalia's sovereignity. 

Kenya has also announced that there will be direct Kenya Airways flights to Hargeisa in Somaliland. The East African nation has also offered to recognize Somaliland travel papers and will issue them travel visas by March 2021.

Forthcoming Somalia elections

Somalia already missed the deadline for the planned December 1 presidential elections. Opposition is calling for the overhaul of the entire electoral commission and the resignation of the intelligence chief Fahad Yasin for alleged election inteference.

The Jubba president Ahmed Madobe has reportedly refused to conduct polls in his region claiming the Somalia federal government had deployed armies in his region.

The Jubbaland President , just like the Somaliland president, are being accused of being Kenya's puppets.  

Somalai's Federal Parliament  has 275 seats. The presidential election, meanwhile, is due in February 2021.

More internal troubles

Hundreds of people Tuesday marched through Somalia's capital Mogadishu to denounce president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo.

They accuse him of delaying the country's legislative elections to aid his re-election bid in 2021.

There were reports of clashes between gunmen protecting the protestors and security forces.

Disagreements over the composition of the electoral board prevented the vote from taking place this month.

Military interventions

Somalia on Tuesday deployed troops along their common border with Kenya in retaliation to the severe ties with the latter.

The arrival of soldiers forced some locals along the borders to start moving out for fears of being caught out in any possible military confrontation.

Kenya becomes the second country after Guinea , with which Somalia has cut ties over Somaliland issue.