NAIROBI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is keen on a peaceful resolution with Somalia on the maritime border dispute, a senior government official said on Thursday.
Monica Juma, cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, told journalists in Nairobi that Kenya is still awaiting a response from Somalia on the demand that Somalia respects its territory following Mogadishu's decision to auction oil and gas blocks also claimed by Nairobi.
"It is our hope that we will resolve the dispute within the confines of the law," Juma said.
Kenya says that Somalia auctioned the oil blocks in the disputed areas on Feb. 7 in Britain.
In 2014, Somalia took the maritime border dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague and the case is still ongoing.
Juma said that Kenya has made the highest investment per capita in the world for the restoration of peace in Somalia and is therefore shocked at Somalia's actions.
"We underwrote the Somalia peace process and also brought support to bear so that the Somalia's reconstruction can be fast tracked through the help of the international community," she added.
The Somali government said on Monday that it had not auctioned any oil blocks in disputed maritime zones to external bidders as claimed by Kenya, in a move to diffuse a diplomatic spate between the two neighbors.
Mogadishu has no plans to do so until the maritime dispute is decided by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the foreign ministry said.
