Somalia turns away ‘unauthorized’ Ethiopian plane bound for Somaliland

Somalia on Wednesday said it has turned back an "unauthorized" Ethiopian plane bound for Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland from Somali airspace.

Information Minister Daud Aweis said in a brief statement on X Wednesday that the country's Civil Aviation Body "turned away an unauthorized Ethiopian Airlines plane (ET8372) D-8-Q400 from Somali airspace."

Aweis did not elaborate why the plane was turned away but local media reported said the flight was carrying a senior Ethiopian delegation to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.

He said flights must obtain permission before entering in line with international rules.

"In accordance with the international rules of the air, flights must have a permit (license) check with the countries they are flying to prior to departure," the Somali Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.

Relations between the two neighboring nations have soured since Ethiopia signed a Red Sea access deal with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland.

Somalia has rejected Ethiopia's Red Sea port deal with Somaliland, calling it "illegitimate," a threat to good neighborliness, and a violation of its sovereignty.

It also recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia after the deal was signed on Jan. 1. The Ethiopian government has defended its decision to sign the deal and said the agreement with Somaliland "will affect no party or country."

The deal allows Ethiopia to obtain a permanent and reliable naval base and commercial maritime service in the Gulf of Aden.

Ethiopia lost its Red Sea ports in the early 1990s after the Eritrean War of Independence, which lasted from 1961 to 1991.

In 1991, Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia, leading to the establishment of two separate nations. The separation resulted in Ethiopia losing direct access to the Red Sea and key ports.