Kenya is taking frustrations with diplomats over airspace closure, Somalia says
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia has not formally announced plans by Kenya to close the airspace completely due to alleged misuse of humanitarian planes and those transporting medical workers to Somalia, senior Mogadishu officials have claimed, just one day after Nairobi issued a statement.
According to Mogadishu, Kenya has not been in contact with the Somali Foreign Ministry over the allegations and that they only saw the statement on “media”. “We only see these statements in the media,” said one of them.
Officials now say that the latest statement from Kenya “does not affect us and we will meet them as they wish”. This indicates that Somalia is no longer interested in negotiating with Kenya on the opening of airspace, which has remained contentious for several months.
An official goes further and argues that Kenya is taking its frustration over the closure of the airspace for diplomats in the hope that they could pressure Somalia to agree to open the airspace. Somalia had suspended flights with Khat, a stimulant drug that is a major export for Kenya.
Kenya suspended flights to and from Somalia on May 11 without giving a proper explanation. Only humanitarian and medivac flights were allowed in the country, but all had to undergo a thorough screening before landing or taking off.
On Monday, Kenya issued a statement to all diplomatic missions reiterating that the suspension still exists, adding that no one should go against the existing order, in violation of established rules and directives. The letter was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Furthermore, Nairobi said that only medivac and humanitarian flights may fly back and forth Nairobi to Mogadishu. The suspension of chatted and passenger flights was issued in early May in connection with Somalia’s failure to lift the ban on Miraa.
“The Ministry would like to inform the esteemed diplomatic missions, UN agencies and international organizations that exemptions have been granted only for humanitarian and medivac flights,” the letter read.
The ministry said that although the scope is given to humanitarian flights, they are obviously violating without taking into account possible consequences. The ministry warns that such measures would lead to the suspension of all fights.
“However, the Ministry regrets to announce that it has noted the misuse of humanitarian flights for bilateral and political issues in violation of NOTAM and public announcement to the effect that air communication between Kenya and Somalia had been suspended,” the ministry warned. “The Ministry reiterates that humanitarian flights must be used for humanitarian purposes to avoid complete locking of all flights.”
For a long time, Somalia has accused Kenya of interfering in its internal affairs, a claim that Nairobi dismisses as propaganda. The two countries are also in conflict over the controversial border with the Indian Ocean, and the case is currently before the International Court of Justice. [ICJ].
AXADLETM
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