International court backs Somalia in sea dispute with Kenya

The International Court of Justice has sided with Somalia in its dispute with neighboring Kenya over a maritime boundary in a case affecting territory potentially rich in oil and gas

NAIROBI, Kenya -- The International Court of Justice has sided with Somalia in its dispute with neighboring Kenya over a maritime boundary in a case affecting a territory potentially rich in oil and gas.

The ruling on Tuesday by the United Nations’ highest court is legally binding, though the court has no enforcement powers. The court rejected Kenya’s claim of the maritime boundary it sought, saying Kenya had not consistently maintained it. Instead, it leaned closer to Somalia’s claim of a straight line into the Indian Ocean from their border.

“Congratulations to the Somali people, we have succeeded in capturing our seas,” Somalia's minister of information, Osman Dubbe, tweeted.

But the court rejected Somalia’s pursuit of reparations after the country alleged that some of Kenya’s maritime activities had violated its sovereignty.