Abdikariim Ali Baarjeex, the Waddani Party’s Secretary of Civil Aviation, has issued a scathing public statement accusing Somaliland’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Development of failing to protect the republic’s sovereignty in the face of repeated airspace encroachments by the Somali government.
The outspoken critique, shared widely on social media, calls for urgent action to counter Mogadishu’s escalating aviation directives by concerned officials.
In his statement, Baarjeex, identifying himself as a “conservative patriot” rather than an opposition voice, outlined Somalia’s aggressive moves: airlines forced to replace “Hargeisa, Somaliland” with “Hargeisa, Somalia” in booking systems, mandatory submission of passenger manifests and Advanced Passenger Information (API) to Mogadishu, inclusion of “Airport Development” fees in tickets for Somaliland travelers to fund Somali infrastructure, and an e-Visa requirement that has stranded Somalilanders holding foreign passports at transit hubs like Dubai.
“This is a surrender of our identity,” he declared, emphasizing that there is “no reason” for Hargeisa-bound passenger data to be routed through Somalia.
Baarjeex criticized the ministry’s lack of response, noting that these directives have been implemented without resistance, allowing Somalia’s policies to take root.
He recalled the Kulmiye government’s misleading claims of reclaiming airspace during a grand Damal Hotel ceremony, which he dismissed as “a blatant lie” tied to election-year budget spending.
“My party’s government must act where Kulmiye failed,” he urged, calling for measures to safeguard Somaliland’s autonomy and citizen rights.
The secretary’s statement, rooted in his aviation expertise, demands that the ministry take “strong action” to halt Somalia’s overreach.
“I want my government to succeed and my people to feel they have a state that defends Somaliland’s sovereignty,” Baarjeex concluded, pressing for reforms to protect travelers and restore national pride in the republic’s airspace