Somalia on Thursday announced that it had restored diplomatic ties with Kenya following a mediation process initiated by Qatar.

According to Somalia’s presidency, the restoration of the diplomatic ties with Kenya that were severed under President Mohamed Farmaajo is meant to foster regional peace. 

However, the presidency through Spokesman Abdirashid Hashi, did not disclose details of Qatar’s involvement in resolving the stalemate between Nairobi and Mogadishu. 

Farmaajo and Uhuru. PHOTO/COURTESY

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“Somalia and Kenya Presidents thank Emir of Qatar for his good offices in this regard,” the statement says on Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani without elaborating. 


This comes as the Emir of Qatar sent his special envoy Dr Mutlaq bib Majed al-Qahtani landed in Kenya and met President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi on Thursday in an effort to diffuse the long-drawn tiff between the two neighburing countries.

Here’s the full statement: 

State House Kenya, in a post on Thursday, said Dr Mutlaq had delivered to President Kenyatta a "special message" from al-Thani, during the meeting also attended by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.

Somalia severed diplomatic ties with Kenya in December last year and withdrew its envoy Mohamed Nur Tarsan and ordered out Kenya’s Lucas Tumbo, accusing Kenya meddling in her political affairs.

Uhuru, Matiang'i and the Qatari delegation. PHOTO/COURTESY

This comes a month after Kenya withdrew from a maritime case filed by Somalia under Farmaajo at the International Court of Justice challenging boundaries in the Indian Ocean.