Kenya threatens to suspend all humanitarian flights to Somalia

The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed all Diplomatic Envoys, United Nations and International Agencies in Nairobi that Kenyan and Somali airspace has been closed following the severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Kenya said it was “saddened” to learn that both humanitarian and political flights had been misused in protest of its decision to suspend flights to Somalia and Kenya.

Kenya’s statement comes as the prime minister of Somalia and the president of Kenya were planning to hold a meeting to find a solution to the dispute between the two countries.

Kenya’s decision to close its airspace to Somalia is due to a ban on miraa khat exports to Somalia, which was suspended in March last year by the Federal Government of Somalia.