The largest airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, has received a strong warning from the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), which threatens to halt its operations within Somali airspace. This action is in response to a contentious agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, an area that has proclaimed its independence but is only acknowledged by Taiwan on a global scale.
The arrangement that gave Ethiopia, a landlocked country, permission to build a naval facility on Somaliland’s coast in exchange for a share in Ethiopian Airlines and possible recognition of Somaliland’s sovereignty is what gave rise to the conflict in January. Ethiopia will also be able to establish a port and a transportation corridor thanks to this agreement. actions that Somalia sees as a clear violation of its sovereignty
The threat from the SCAA comes after it was revealed that Ethiopian Airlines has changed its flight information to refer to destinations in Somaliland using airport codes rather than city names, so avoiding the sovereignty dispute. The seriousness of the situation was highlighted by a SCAA official who threatened to “suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to Somalia if these issues are not resolved by August 23.”
Ethiopian Airlines and Flydubai were threatened with a ban from using the nation’s airspace if they did not remove any references to “Somaliland” from their websites, according to a warning from the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA).
Today, Ethiopian Airlines flies to numerous locations in Somalia, including the country’s capital, Mogadishu, and Hargeisa in Somaliland and Garowe in Puntland.
The airline’s activities in these regions have turned into a major source of conflict, with Somalia claiming that any kind of recognition of Somaliland compromises its sovereignty.
The possible destabilization of the Horn of Africa resulting from this disagreement has alarmed the international community.Several countries, including the United States, have advocated for a de-escalation and emphasized respect for Somalia’s sovereignty while also recognizing Ethiopia’s need for sea access for economic reasons.
In addition to having an impact on the aviation sector, this impasse also has larger ramifications for international law pertaining to state recognition, regional stability, and the economic interests of both countries.The world is waiting to see if diplomatic efforts will result in more political and economic isolation between the two countries, or if they can resolve this complicated issue before the deadline.