HARGEISA–The Somaliland government has announced that it has filed an international lawsuit with the United Nations agencies, stating its desire to take full control of administering its airspace. The government is also willing to challenge the electronic Visa System (E-Visa) imposed by the Somali Federal government on passengers traveling to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. In an interview with MM Somali TV, the Minister of Civil Aviation and Airport Development, Mr. Fu’ad Ahmed Nuh, stated, “We are taking Somalia to court because they claim to fully control and manage Somaliland’s airspace. However, they do not have a presence in Somaliland and their orders are not operational here. We have testified that they are not in control of our airspace.” He also mentioned that Somalia is unable to fulfill the criteria for administering Somaliland’s airspace, including providing emergency landing and rescue operations. Instead of engaging in dialogue with Somalia, Somaliland has decided to seek international recognition. Recently, Israel became the first UN member state to officially recognize the Republic of Somaliland. The Somaliland government has demanded that after Israel’s recognition, its airspace should be treated according to the laws of countries with partial recognition, such as Taiwan and Kosovo, which have been permitted to manage their own airspaces. The Minister expressed optimism that Somaliland will achieve its goal of administering its own airspace through the ongoing lawsuit. He also stated that the reason Somalia introduced the electronic Visa (E-Visa) is to generate revenue and put pressure on the Somaliland community. However, Somalia has previously claimed that the E-Visa system helps them keep track of passengers entering the country and strengthens their government’s control.
