Hargeisa (SD) – Somaliland’s Interior Minister Mohamed Kahin Ahmed spoke to reporters in Hargeisa and gave detail as to why the Ethiopian Airline flights continues to land in Hargeisa while other flights were canceled.

The minister said they made that decision because the Ethiopian Airlines favored Somaliland and disregarded the Somali federal government’s ban on international flights to the country.

Minister Mohamed Kahin said the federal government disagreed with the Ethiopian airline flights to Hargeisa during their ban, but said it was later agreed that Ethiopian Airlines should continue to fly to Somaliland.

“If the situation ever becomes more difficult the only flights we have is Ethiopian Airlines, their government is in agreement with us and we expect the others to work with us, now the number of people arriving is dwindling and today it only flew four people to Hargeisa, we told them not to bring passengers from hotspots.” Said the minister.

Minister Kahin also spoke about khat coming from Ethiopia into the Somaliland region, saying that the situation in Ethiopia is getting worse and the cases being reported are closer to 50, and it is important we take a collective action.

The Somaliland public and the opposition parties are very concerned about the continuation of the Ethiopian airline flights during the Covid-19 pandemic.