Somaliland vows not to negotiate over its airspace

By: Ahmed Mohamed 

The administration of the breakaway Somaliland vowed not to negotiate about control over its airspace.

Farhan Adan Haybe, Somaliland’s minister of civil aviation and air transport on Tuesday said that Hargeisa is independent country and will never accept the federal government to control Somaliland’s airspace.

Haybe said that the two administrations (Somalia and Somaliland) should reclaim their airspace and each to control its airspace independently.

In 1991, after the overthrow of Somalia’s military leader Siad Barre, the northern territory of Somaliland declared independence but after over 25 years it yet to be recognized as independent country by the international community.

The United Nations took over responsibility for managing Somalia’s airspace 26 years ago following the collapse of the central government by late Mohamed Siyad Barre.

May 1996, ICAO launched a Civil Aviation Caretaker Authority for Somalia (CACAS) to manage the country’s airspace and collect over-flight revenues for Somalia.

In2014, Somalia and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) signed an agreement officially commencing the implementation of the transition program that will transfer full control of Somali airspace to the Government of Somalia.

Somalia is yet to regain the control of its airspace nearly three decades down the line since it lost the airspace control.

Author’s Email: [email protected]