Somalia files a complaint against Kenya over violation of airspace

[Deeq A.]

The Federal Government of Somalia has launched a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) over violations of its airspace by neighboring Kenya.

The protest follows passenger aircraft from Kenya breached Somali Civil Aviation Authority rules by directly flying to the port city of Kismayo without a stopover in the capital, Mogadishu.

Officials from the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) confirmed that they submitted their complaint to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) over Nairobi’s behavior.

Ministry of Transport and civil aviation directed all international flights to Kismayo in the Jubbaland state to make a stopover at Aden Abdulle International Airport last month.

Aircraft with registration number 5Y-JXJ which operates under Air Operator License (AOC) from Jubba Airways landed in Kismayo from Nairobi on Saturday with some members of parliament and opposition politicians on board.

The politicians want to attend the inauguration ceremony of the disputed election of the regional leader, Ahmed Mohamed Islam.

The new grievance by Mogadishu comes days after Somali and Kenyan officials met in Mogadishu to strengthen bilateral ties despite disputed maritime border cases at the International Court of Justice in Hague, the Netherlands.

The Federal Government has rejected a request by Kenya to delay the case for at least one year.

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