Somali government on Wednesday dismissed reports claiming that it had reached agreement with Kenya to share disputed maritime triangle.
Kenyan Media reported that Qatari government had convinced Mogadishu and Nairobi to iron out their maritime dispute outside court.
The Star, a local newspaper based in Kenyan capital claimed that the two countries will equally share proceeds of oil and gas sales within the disputed maritime triangle.
The paper reported that the redacted agreement between the nations shows the 50:50 sharing deal is expected to be signed in Doha soon.
Hours later, through his Twitter handle, Somali deputy prime minister, Mahdi Gulaid refuted the claims, saying the horn of Africa nation will only wait for the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which concluded the case proceedings early this year.
“Media reports that Somalia and Kenya are in agreement to divide the proceeds of oil and gas 50/50 are baseless and untrue. We are awaiting fair judgement by CJI-ICJ on the maritime dispute,” the deputy prime minister said.
Somalia this month announced that it has restored diplomatic ties with Kenya following efforts by Qatari efforts to end tiff between the two neighbouring countries in East Africa region.
But the tension rose once again after Somalia insisted that Khat from Kenya will not make its way to Mogadishu, forcing Kenyan government suspend all flights from and to Somalia for three months.
Recent years, Somalia and Kenya have been seeking a resolution on the ownership of a 150,000 square-kilometer (58,000 square-mile) area off their Indian Ocean coastline, which both countries want to explore for oil, gas and fish.
In 2014, Somalia went to court to challenge a 2009 agreement that set its maritime border along latitudinal lines extending 450 nautical miles into the sea.
The court has concluded the hearing of the case and is expected announce its ruling in the forthcoming months.
The court verdict is final and not subject to appeal.
