HARGEISA / MOGADISHU | The administration of Somaliland is escalating its long‑running dispute with the federal government of Somalia by asserting renewed efforts to reclaim control of its airspace, currently managed from Mogadishu. Fu’ad Ahmed Nuh, Somaliland’s Minister of Aviation and Airports Development, described the arrangement as “an error that must be swiftly corrected,” and announced the hiring of international legal experts to facilitate the transfer of control.
The clash comes as Somalia enforces a new e‑visa system requiring travellers to Somaliland to obtain federal authorisation an act Hargeisa brands a violation of its sovereignty. The aviation dispute now spans diplomatic corridors, with Somaliland threatening to ban any airline that enforces Somalia’s visa regime within its skies.
Somalia, however, continues to insist it retains full authority over its airspace, including the internationally recognised “Mogadishu Flight Information Region (FIR)”. The federal Civil Aviation Authority reaffirmed control in February 2024 and warned of penalties for unauthorised flights in Somali airspace.
The conflict has broader implications for regional stability and aviation safety. Airlines operating in the Horn of Africa now face the risk of routing complications, conflicting instructions, and air‑space designation uncertainty. Analysts say the standoff reflects deeper questions of legitimacy, governance and territorial control in a region marked by protracted fragmentation.