Somalia regrets Kenya's move to ban flights

MOGADISHU, Somalia

The Somali government on Tuesday regretted Kenya’s decision to suspend commercial flights to and from Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Somali Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Duran Farah, said the decision by Nairobi will jeopardize the recently restored diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries.

Farah told Radio Mogadishu that there was no direct communication between Mogadishu and Nairobi on the latter’s decision to suspend all chartered and scheduled flights to and from Somalia.

According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), only medical and humanitarian flights will be allowed.

The Somali minister said that the government will state its position on Kenya’s suspension of all commercial flights at an appropriate time.

Kenya’s decision came a day after Somalia announced Sunday it would continue the ban on imports of khat, a traditional herbal stimulant, from Kenya despite a resumption of diplomatic ties.

Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said in a statement to all operators that the government’s ban on stimulant drugs was still in force.