Somalia has rejected claims by Kenya that oil blocks in a disputed section of the Indian Ocean have been auctioned.
The dispute over the maritime border between Kenya and Somalia escalated over the weekend. It forced Kenya to recall its ambassador to Somalia.
Kenya on Saturday revealed that its ambassador in Mogadishu, Lucas Tumbo has been summoned back home.
Meanwhile Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Mohammed Muhamud Nur has also been asked to return to Mogadishu.
Kenya’s claim
The Kenyan foreign ministry said it took the decision to recall its ambassador after Somalia auctioned oil and gas exploration blocks at the centre of the dispute.
The oil blocks are situated in the Indian Ocean with both countries laying claim to them. They were auctioned on February 7 according to Kenya.
Kenya said it expressed its concerns about auctioning blocks involved in the border dispute but Somalia ignored them.
The dispute is currently being resolved by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
Somalia first lodged the complaints over the maritime boundaries in 2014. It had then negotiated over the 100,000 square kilometres area with the oil deposit.
The final ruling will significantly impact on the revenue both countries could secure from oil and gas exploration.
Somalia’s response
But Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmad Isse Awad is reported by the Daily Nation to have said that “Somalia is not now offering, nor does it have any plans to offer, any blocks in the disputed maritime area until the parties’ maritime boundary is decided by the ICJ (International Court of Justice).”
“The government of Somalia wishes to reassure the Government of Kenya that it stands by its commitment not to undertake any unilateral activities in the disputed area until such a time as the ICJ renders its judgment,” Isse Awad is further quoted as saying in a letter to the Kenyan embassy in Mogadishu.
There are fears the current maritime border dispute could impact negatively efforts to deal with terrorism in the East African region.
Both countries have for years been collaborating on this mission.
Source: Africafeeds.com
