Somalia has issued an official statement announcing that it is strongly considering banning Africa’s biggest air carrier from operating within its airspace.
Asserting that Ethiopian flag carrier has compromised the sovereignty of Somalia in the context of an ongoing dispute with Ethiopia, Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has charged Ethiopian Airlines with neglecting to respond to earlier grievances concerning “sovereignty issues,” opting instead to “eliminate mentions of Somali destinations while keeping only the airport codes.”
The SCAA further asserted that it had also been receiving a growing number of serious complaints from the Somali populace regarding their travel experiences with Ethiopian Airlines.
The SCAA added that this action intensifies the initial concerns, cautioning that it “will be compelled to suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to Somalia” if the issues are not addressed by the end of this week.
This action represents the most recent development in a series of threats and measures taken by Somalia against Ethiopia. The relationship between these two East African nations has worsened following Mogadishu’s condemnation of a port access agreement between Addis Ababa and the self-declared Somaliland, labeling it as unlawful and an act of territorial appropriation. Additionally, this situation arises concurrently with Türkiye’s mediation efforts, which have indicated significant advancements in the pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict between Ethiopian and Somali officials.
Following Somaliland’s decision to lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of coastline to landlocked Ethiopia for a duration of 50 years, Mogadishu has expelled the ambassador of Addis Ababa. Additionally, Somalia has closed Addis Ababa’s consulates in both Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia unilaterally in 1991, and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.
In June, Mogadishu has also issued a warning regarding the potential expulsion of thousands of Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Somalia to combat the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, should Addis Ababa not revoke the agreement with the former British protectorate, which Somalia claims as its own territory.
Currently, Ethiopian Airlines provides air services to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, as well as to Garowe in Puntland and Mogadishu in Somalia. The airline’s website does not specify a country for Hargeisa and fails to display any results for Somaliland, whereas Mogadishu is distinctly marked as part of Somalia.
In its latest letter, the aviation authority of Somalia stated that it had engaged in multiple discussions with representatives of Ethiopian Airlines concerning the “breach of Somali sovereignty in relation to the destinations” that the airline operates. The authority emphasized that any future incidents, including the failure to accurately identify destinations within Somalia, would lead to an immediate suspension without prior notice.
