Somalia blocks Ethiopian flight to Somaliland amid port dispute

Somalia’s government denied entry by a flight carrying Ethiopian officials to the breakaway region of Somaliland, ratcheting up tension between the neighboring countries over a proposed port deal. The Somali authorities turned back Ethiopian Airlines flight ET8372 “after it became clear that the aircraft did not have any permission to use Somali air space,” the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement on Wednesday. The flight’s passengers included “VIP Ethiopian delegates” en route to the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa, CAA Director-General Ahmed Moalim said by phone, without identifying them. Relations between the two nations have been strained since Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Jan. 1 that his country will recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state and hand over an unspecified stake in state-owned Ethiopian Airlines Group in return for access to the Red Sea. The accord will enable Addis Ababa to lease land from Somaliland that it can use to establish a military base and for commercial maritime purposes. Somalia lays sovereign claim to Somaliland and has threatened military retaliation should Ethiopia advance with its plans. Officials from Egypt, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia have either visited Somalia or issued statements in support of its sovereignty since the agreement was signed. Ethiopian Airlines operates a commercial service between Addis Ababa and Hargeisa. Flight ET8372 took off from the Ethiopian capital at 8:32 a.m. local time, turned back before it reached the Somali border, and landed again at 10:20 a.m., according to the aircraft-tracker FlightRadar24’s website. Ethiopian Airlines and Ethiopian State Minister for Government Communication Services Selamawit Kassa didn’t respond to a request for comment. Somaliland officials declined to comment on the planned delegation, or who was part of the trip citing security reasons.<br/>