Govt suspends all flights between Kenya and Somalia

The Kenyan Government has suspended all flights between Kenya and Somalia citing operational sensitive information.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said only medical evacuation and United Nations flights on humanitarian missions will be allowed between the two countries.

The move comes barely a week after the Federal Government of Somalia said it had restored diplomatic ties with Kenya.

On May 6, Somalia’s Ministry of Information said the diplomatic ties had been restored following intervention by Qatar.

“The Federal Government of Somalia, announces that in keeping with the interests of good neighborliness, it has resumed diplomatic relations with the Republic of Kenya,” a statement from the ministry reads.

The statement further indicated that the two countries have agreed to maintain friendly relations guided by principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and that there will be no interference in the internal affairs of either of the two countries.

“The two governments agree to keep friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence. The Presidents of both countries are grateful and thankful to the Emir of State of Qatar for his good offices in this regard,” concluded the statement.

On the same day, at State House in Nairobi, President Uhuru Kenyatta received a special message from the Amir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

“The Amir’s message was delivered to the President by Dr Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani, who is the Special Envoy of the Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar for Counterterrorism and Mediation of Conflict Resolution,” State House said in statement to newsrooms.