Somalia has rallied support from the Arab League in a maritime dispute with its neighbor Kenya. The Arab Parliament based in Cairo has backed its member by condemning Kenya and warned it against encroachment. CGTN's Abdulaziz Billow reports.

The resolution comes amid a deepening rift between the two neighbours over a maritime boundary dispute in the Indian Ocean that is due to be decided by the International Court of Justice. Members of the Arab League met in Cairo this week to condemn Kenya's claim to Somalia's territorial waters, while also warning Nairobi against interfering in the country's internal affairs.

MOHAMED OMAR DALHA MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, SOMALIA "The resolution clearly states the unanimous support of the Arab parliament to the Somali cause. The resolution also calls for the respect for Somalia sovereignty including its territorial waters, land and airspace."

This is the first major condemnation from the twenty-two member bloc formed in 2002 to promote democracy and stable development in Arab countries.

ABDULAZIZ BILLOW MOGADISHU, SOMALIA "Somalia joined the Arab League in 1974 - fourteen years after gaining independence - and despite a major fallout between some Arab countries, Thursday's resolution received a unanimous endorsement - a major boost for Somalia in its maritime dispute with Kenya."

DAHIR AMIN JESOW MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, SOMALIA "The statement by the Arab parliament is a message to Kenya that Somalia is a sovereign state and has friends all over the world. It is also an encouragement that indicates Somalia has turned over a new leaf and will not cede an inch of its territory to threats and fear."

Relations between the two countries took a new turn earlier this year after Kenya was angered by Somalia's hosting of an oil conference in London - forcing both countries to recall their envoys. The diplomatic tiff was resolved in May but recent events suggest otherwise. Since then, Kenya has taken tough measures including denying entry to Somali official, re-routing flights between the two capitals to a different airfield for security clearance and a ban on unaccompanied cargo - on its end, Mogadishu has vowed not to attend any meetings hosted in Nairobi to protest visa denials. 

In 2014 Somalia filed a suit accusing Kenya of encroaching on almost 100,000 square km of marine territory with potential oil and gas deposits in the Indian Ocean - Kenyan officials insist that the matter should be resolved through diplomatic channels Meanwhile, Somalia hopes to start oil drilling next year and has since invited big oil corporations to invest in the country's hydrocarbon sector. AB, CGTN, MOG - SOM.