Somalia Denies Entry to Ethiopian Airlines Charter Flight Bound for Somaliland Amid Diplomatic Tensions

In a recent development that underscores the ongoing diplomatic tensions in the Horn of Africa, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has refused entry to an Ethiopian Airlines charter flight en route to Hargeisa, the capital of the de facto independent region of Somaliland. The flight, operated by a DHC-8-Q400 aircraft with the flight number ET8372, was scheduled to depart from Addis Ababa International Airport on January 17, carrying a group of unidentified Ethiopian VIP passengers.

According to official reports, the SCAA stated that the Ethiopian Airlines flight had not secured the necessary permits to traverse Somali airspace. Data from Flightradar24 ADS-B revealed that the aircraft, registered as ET-AUZ (msn 4574), had embarked on its journey from Addis Ababa, heading eastward towards Somaliland. However, it abruptly altered its course near Jijiga in northeastern Ethiopia and returned to Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Airlines later confirmed that the aircraft was compelled to return to the Ethiopian capital due to uncertainties about the required permissions from the Somali authorities. Despite this incident, Ethiopian Airlines’ regular flights to Hargeisa and Mogadishu remain unaffected.

Further complicating the situation, the Somali National News Agency reported an incident involving a B737-400(F) aircraft operated by AlphaSky, registered as P4-JAG (msn 25102). The plane, which was en route from Sharjah to Hargeisa, was also denied entry into Somali airspace, allegedly due to undisclosed cargo. However, the Somaliland Airports and Aviation Authority contested this report. Flightradar24 ADS-B data showed that the AlphaSky aircraft flew from Sharjah via Dubai World Central to Port Sudan between January 17 and 18, though there was no indication that this was a diversion from its intended route to Hargeisa. The aircraft had last visited Somaliland’s capital on January 14.

These airspace entry denials occur amidst heightened tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia following a significant diplomatic agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland on January 1. The agreement, which grants Ethiopia a 50-year lease of a 20-kilometre coastal stretch in Somaliland with access to military and civilian ports, also includes a commitment to enhance political and diplomatic relations. This deal, perceived as Somaliland’s first international recognition, has also led to Somaliland acquiring a stake in Ethiopian Airlines. However, the Somali government has condemned this agreement as a breach of its sovereignty.

Somaliland, a region that gained de facto independence from Somalia in the early 1990s, was a former British colony. It briefly merged with Italian Somalia in 1960, just five days after gaining independence. Despite its relative political stability and self-governance, Somalia continues to assert formal control over Somaliland’s airspace. Notably, flights from Addis Ababa to Hargeisa do not pass through the airspace of mainland Somalia.