Kenya says that it feels betrayed by the decision by Somalia to take the maritime dispute to International Court of Justice (ICJ).
On March 19, Kenya issued a statement on the maritime dispute through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the statement, Kenya said that it opted not to participate in the maritime case at ICJ after “deep reflection and extensive consultations.”
The case took off at The Hague-based court on March 15.
Kenya withdrew from the case but ICJ opted to proceed with the oral hearing after receiving written submissions from Nairobi.
The foreign affairs ministry claims that Kenya and Somalia had an agreement on the maritime boundary.
According to Kenya, the maritime boundary had been in place for the last 35 years.
“The decision by Somalia to forward the case to the ICJ has incited hostility against Kenya,” the statement by the foreign affairs ministry read.
The maritime dispute between the two neighbors revolves around a resource-rich area spanning over 62,000 square miles.