Mogadishu has imposed a ban on the entry and transit of Taiwanese passport holders, prompting Taipei to condemn it strongly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan believes that the step was taken at China’s behest, as China considers the self-governing island a renegade province.
The ban, imposed on Wednesday, was apparently notified to Taiwanese officials by Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has filed an official protest, condemning the limitation of the travel freedom of Taiwanese citizens and calling for its immediate cancellation.
Somalia justified itself by referring to United Nations Resolution 2758, which recognized Beijing as China’s sole legitimate representative in the UN. Mogadishu also referred to the “one China” policy, a position Taipei vehemently disagrees with. Taipei has accused Somalia of misinterpreting the UN resolution to wrongly portray Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China.
This is set against the backdrop of warming ties between Somaliland and Taiwan, which is a self-proclaimed independent state of Somalia. Both nations have intensified tensions between Somalia and Taiwan after they established mutual representative offices last year in 2020.
Beijing has spoken out in support of Somalia’s stance, calling the ban a legitimate move to safeguard Somalia’s interests and the “one China” principle. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated China’s opposition to any official interaction between Taiwan and Somaliland.
While Taiwan is officially recognized by very few nations, the island enjoys close unofficial ties with numerous countries, including the United States. China continues to claim Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to reunify the island.
Despite the diplomatic dispute, the real impact of the travel ban will probably be minimal. Somalia is not a favorite among Taiwanese travelers, with very few visits in recent years, reported Taiwan’s state-run news agency, Focus Taiwan.
