Kenya recalls envoy from Somalia over controversial auction of oil blocs
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E-mail Xinhua, February 17, 2019
NAIROBI, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Saturday night recalled its ambassador to Somalia after Mogadishu auctioned oil blocs in areas also claimed by Nairobi.
Macharia Kamau, principal secretary of the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Lucas Tumbo, Kenya's ambassador to Somalia, has been summoned to Nairobi for consultations after oil and gas blocks in disputed territorial areas were auctioned to Britain.
He said Somalia "carelessly" ignored internationally accepted norms of boundary disputes resolution as well as political and diplomatic disagreements.
Kamau also said Mogadishu has sadly demonstrated that it has not yet attained and embraced political maturity and diplomatic stance of a normal, well-adjusted and properly functioning modern government.
He described the move by Somalia to auction oil and gas blocks in disputed territory as "tragic and regretful" and added it has severely undermined the existing cordial and brotherly relations between the two countries.
The Kenyan official said it is regrettable that despite Kenya's efforts to assist Somalia in regaining its footing after years of civil war, it has chosen to act otherwise.
He said Kenya now plans to move to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to seek redress on the matter.
Somalia has so far not yet responded to Kenya's move to recall the ambassador.
Kenya and Somalia have been involved in a maritime border dispute for years. Kenya claimed it has long considered the maritime border to go along the parallel of latitude, whereas Somalia wants it to continue along the line of its land border, citing international sea laws. The disputed triangular area off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean covers some 100,000 square km.
The dispute was taken to the ICJ by Somalia in 2014. Kenya has contested the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case and to the admissibility of the suit on the basis of a 2009 agreement between the two countries that the dispute would be resolved through negotiation.
The auction of oil blocs in disputed areas by Somalia reportedly took place in London on Feb. 7. Enditem
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