No khat ban lift despite resumption of ties with Kenya-Somalia

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia has maintained its ban on khat is still in force dampening traders’ prospects that the resumption of ties with Kenya could ease off the restriction.

The Somalia Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said in a statement to aviation operators Sunday the ban which is now a year old will remain ‘until further notice.’

“Carrying miraa to Somalia is still prohibited and the policy of the Federal Government of Somalia did not change regarding the transportation of miraa to Somalia airports,” the authority said.

Somalia banned the importation of miraa (khat) from Kenya in April 2020 following the suspension of international flights in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Appeals by Kenyan officials and traders on Somalia to lift the ban did not bear fruit. The ban has been tied to the collapse of relations between the two countries. Somalia however announced this past week it was resuming relations with Kenyan following mediation by Qatar.

The Federal Government earned $13.4 million from taxes on khat in 2019 and was projecting an increase to $14 million in 2020.