Somalia threatens to block flights of Africa’s biggest carrier

Mogadishu’s aviation authority has accused Ethiopian Airlines of failing to address sovereignty concerns

Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has threatened to ban Ethiopian Airlines from its territory, claiming that Africa’s biggest flight operator has undermined Mogadishu’s sovereignty amid a dispute with Addis Ababa.

In a letter published by Somali state media on Wednesday, the authority accused the carrier of failing to address previous complaints about “sovereignty issues,” instead resorting to “removing references to Somali destinations and retaining only airport codes.” 

“This action exacerbates the original concerns,” the SCAA stated, warning that it “will have no choice but to suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to Somalia” should the issues remain unresolved by August 23.

The move is the latest in a string of threats and actions by Somalia against Ethiopia. Relations between the two East African countries have deteriorated since Mogadishu denounced a port access deal between Addis Ababa and breakaway Somaliland as illegal and a land grab. It also comes at a time when Türkiye, which is mediating talks between Ethiopian and Somali officials, has reported major progress toward finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.

READ MORE: African rivals end talks as port dispute drags on

Mogadishu expelled Addis Ababa’s ambassador after Somaliland, which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, agreed in January to lease 20km (12 miles) of coastline to landlocked Ethiopia for 50 years. Somalia has also ordered the closure of Addis Ababa’s consulates in Somaliland and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

In June, Mogadishu threatened to expel thousands of Ethiopian soldiers deployed in Somalia to fight the terrorist group al-Shabaab if Addis Ababa failed to annul the agreement with the former British protectorate, which it regards as its territory.

The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines operates flights to Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa, Garowe in Puntland, and Mogadishu in Somalia. However, its website lists Hargeisa without a country designation and shows no results for Somaliland, while Mogadishu is clearly identified as being in Somalia.

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In its letter on Wednesday, Mogadishu’s aviation regulator said it had held several discussions with Ethiopian Airlines officials about the “violation of Somali sovereignty regarding destinations” that the carrier serves. The SCAA claimed it had also “received an increasing number of unacceptable complaints from the Somali public regarding their travel experiences with Ethiopian Airlines.” 

“Any future recurrence, such as not properly identifying the destinations in Somalia, will result in suspension without further warning,” it added.

In a separate letter to Emirati government-owned airline FlyDubai, the SCAA expressed similar concerns, ordering the company to correct “serious violations” and accurately represent Somali destinations.