The Somali government has ‘spurned’ a plane transporting officials from Ethiopia to the self-declared republic of Somaliland in a crucial escalation of the diplomatic row between both countries.
Somalia’s information minister informed the BBC that the plane was not granted permission to be flying in the country’s airspace.
It has been reported that the Ethiopian officials were visiting Somaliland to broker a deal. This latest move by Somalia has sparked a huge conflict.
Somalia has stated that Somaliland was part of its territory.
The agreement, signed on 1st January, 2024 would permit Somaliland to rent out one of its ports to Ethiopia in exchange for a stake in Ethiopian Airlines and a conceivable recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state.
Meanwhile, Somalia has reacted angrily to the deal, calling it an act of aggression.
The supposed rejection of the Ethiopian flight happened on Wednesday when the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, –SCAA, announced that flight ETH8273 had broken the international rule that flights must obtain clearance from countries they are to pass through before proceeding to do so.
The SCAA further revealed that the Ethiopian Airline had attempted to land at Somaliland’s Hargeisa Airport. Regardless of this incident, regular flights between the two countries are still operating as usual.
The Ethiopian government has yet to comment, but the head of Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed that the plane in question has returned to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Somaliland is a former British protectorate which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but it has not been recognised by any country.
By commanding the Ethiopian plane out of its airspace, Somalia has sent a concrete message that Somaliland is not an self-governing country.
Amidst the conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia, the US and the African Union have upheld the territorial integrity of Somalia and enjoined all parties to cool tensions and make peace.
