The Arab Parliament sent a stern warning to the Kenyan government ordering it to stop interfering with matters to do with the sovereign state of Somalia.
It went on to accuse Kenya of trying to draw an unfounded map in a bid to win over the hotly contested territorial grounds.
“The Arab Parliament calls on Kenya to get its hands off Somali territorial waters, which are an integral part of the Arab waters, and rejects its false attempts to draw up a new, unfounded map while rejecting its threats to interfere in Somalia's internal affairs,” read a tweet by the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Parliament, through the Somalia Ministry of Foreign affairs, went ahead to clarify that territorial boundaries are out of bounds for Kenyans.
The tiff between the two nations is hinged on a narrow triangle, off the coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, about 100,000 square kilometres. Both countries have staked a claim to the area because of its alleged large oil & gas deposits.
Kenya went ahead to seek the intervention of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the maritime border dispute with Somalia.
“Two weeks ago, the issue (maritime border dispute), was signalled by UN Secretary-General to the Security Council as a potential threat to peace and regional security,” Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma confirmed.
Kenya on its part argued that should Somalia have its way, the issue would have negative ramifications across the continent, as it would prompt countries to the south to also re-negotiate their current borders.
Earlier in the year, Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma announced that the government was waiting for a response that meets the minimum threshold from the Somali government, over the disputed oil blocks in the Indian Ocean.
According to her, Somali had issued a statement disputing the claims raised, and it was clear that they did not deny the existence of a map that depicts the blocks are on Kenyan territory.
