Somalia, Somaliland at loggerheads over Airspace row

[Deeq A.]

HARGEISA– Somaliland, Somalia are at loggerheads and the bone of contention is all about the airspace row.

It was a couple of days ago when Somalia’s Federal Government took over the airspace control from ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO took the duty to control Somalia’s airspace after the collapse of its central government in the 1990’s. It has administered the airspace for 27 years and Somalia is expected to garner 50 million dollars annually. Somaliland foreign affairs minister, Dr. Sa’ad Ali Shire said that having both sides agreed to jointly administer the airspace that SL won’t accept it. Somaliland, Somalia held negotiations in Istanbul where they agreed to create joint commission to oversee administration and build control tower centers in the capitals of Hargeisa and Mogadishu.

Mr. Sa’ad has argued that Somalia is not in control of Somalia airspace and therefore has no legal right to claim it controls its airspace. Somaliland authority declared to take a hard stance on Somalia’s assumption of controlling airspace from Mogadishu days after International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) handed over the airspace control to Mogadishu installed administration. According to an interview with country’s foreign minister, Dr. Sa’ad Ali Shire told Geeska Afrika, a local Somali paper published in Hargeisa that Somaliland has submitted a formal gripe to the international community over airspace control row with Somalia. The FM has reiterated that Somaliland is responsible overseeing its airspace, territorial waters, and sovereignty.

Dr. Sa’ad Said that Somalia and Somaliland held talks over airspace on numerous occasions and both sides agreed to form a joint committee tasked to administer airspace where control towers erected in Hargeisa and Mogadishu should control. The minister has insisted on his stance that the taking over of airspace by Somalia is unacceptable and having an agreement was in place to jointly administer the airspace why Somalia hastily took over while is in total breach of Istanbul accords. The FM has reiterated that Somaliland has the capacity to administer its airspace where it is in total control of directing air traffic in her own airspace. Dr. Sa’ad, SL’s FM has said that Somalilad does not want to create confusion within the airspace