Hiiraan Online
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
A statement released this afternoon by the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion reiterated the Government’s commitment to continuing with its legal case and proceedings against Kenya in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The statement is a response to news in recent days that suggested both nations had agreed to settle the ongoing maritime dispute out of court.
“Somalia would like to clarify and reiterate its commitment to the legal case and proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” said the statement.
The statement continues to argue that international investment, prosperity and the economic growth of Somalia and its neighbours depend on this issue being resolved. Furthermore, while the Government of Somalia welcomed suggestions and initiatives to conclude the settlement satisfactorily, it stood firmly by the legal case it put forward to the International Court of Justice under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The ongoing maritime dispute started in 2012 when the Government of Somalia accused Kenya of awarding offshore oil and gas exploration blocks illegally to the oil companies ENI and Total. However, since the beginning of this dispute investors have mainly stayed away because of a lack of legal clarity over ownership of potential offshore oil and gas reserves.