Somalia bars the second Hargeisa-bound plane from its airspace

The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) today barred a second flight, a Thailand-registered cargo plane flying from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from landing in Hargeisa, Somaliland. The plane, P4-JAG, was deemed "suspicious" due to its failure to properly identify its cargo.

This decision comes just a day after another Ethiopian Airlines flight, ETH8372, was denied permission to land in Hargeisa, raising tensions between Somalia and its neighbour.

"The plane failed to identify its cargo," the SCAA statement declared. "Somalia Civil Aviation Authority has a legally binding decision that bars flights lacking sufficient information about their flight purpose and cargo contents. As such, the flight was barred from Somalia's airspace."

Aviation sources suspect the plane may have been carrying weapons, but independent confirmation remains unavailable.

This latest move is directly linked to Somalia's recent protest of a deal reportedly signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland, a self-declared enclave in northwestern Somalia. The agreement allegedly grants landlocked Ethiopia unlawful access to Somali waters.

"Barring suspicious flights to Hargeisa will likely impact aviation traffic to Somaliland," aviation expert Abdikadir Ali predicted. "Companies will need to be cautious about carrying undeclared cargo, as doing so could risk their licenses to operate in Somalia."

He added, "Somalia is flexing its muscles here, showing Ethiopia and even Somaliland who's in charge. They have every right to do so, as Somaliland is part of Somalia. They can bar any suspicious flight, which puts Ethiopia and Somaliland in an awkward position."

On the diplomatic front, Somalia continues to rally international support for respecting its sovereignty and denounce Ethiopia's alleged interference in its internal affairs.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre briefed an Arab League emergency meeting requested by Somalia to discuss these concerns. He urged Arab states to stand with Somalia in the face of Ethiopian aggression.

Following the meeting, the Arab League released a strongly worded statement supporting Somalia and rejecting any actions that undermine or violate its sovereignty.

Ethiopia, displeased with the statement, defended itself through State Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Mesganu Arega. He called the Arab League statement "an attempt to interfere with the internal affairs and sovereignty of Ethiopia," via a social media post.

Meanwhile, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud traveled to Kampala, Uganda, to attend an Extraordinary IGAD Summit, with Ethiopia's interference in Somalia's sovereignty among the top agenda items.