Hargeisa (SD) – The director of Somaliland’s aviation agency, Abdi Mohamed Rodol, said Somaliland was not swayed by the departure of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) staff, who had previously been in charge of Hargeisa airport operations.

In June, Somaliland suspended 42 ICAO employees after the government demanded they resign from ICAO, but refused to do so.

Abdi Mohamed Rodol, was briefing the Somaliland President on a visit to the airport, said that Somaliland youth who had studied aviation in Ethiopia took over the job of ICAO operators.

“Mr. President, you be happy to know that, our youth trained in Ethiopia took over the ICAO work, and we don’t require any ICAO operators from outside anymore,” said Mr. Rodol.

The manager didn’t rule out foreign support all together, yet he expressed a complete confidence in the young Somalilanders who were fulfilling all of the work foreigners did at the airport.

The Somalia government moved all of the fired local ICAO operators at Hargeisa airport to Puntland, Somalia.

ICAO never commented on their operators been replaced and the current situation in Somalia’s airspace.