Taiwan slams Somalia for banning its passports
Taiwan has spoken out strongly against Somalia’s decision to ban people with Taiwanese passports from entering or passing through the East African country.
The ban started on April 1 and was announced by Somali aviation authorities last week.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry believes the decision was pushed by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
In a statement, the ministry said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly protested Somalia's action made under the instigation of China to restrict the travel freedom and safety of Taiwanese nationals and has demanded that the Somali government immediately revoke the notice.”
So far, Somalia has not said anything about the ban but China welcomed the move and called it a show of support for the "one-China principle."
A Chinese government spokesperson told journalists that the ban was “a legitimate measure.”
The ban may be connected to Taiwan’s close ties with Somaliland.
Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 and now runs its own government, although it is not officially recognised by any country.
In 2020, Taiwan and Somaliland opened embassies in each other’s capitals, which made both China and Somalia angry.
Taiwan is a self-ruled island with its own government, laws, and elections. However, most countries do not officially recognise it as a separate country due to pressure from China.
Taiwanese officials are now warning people not to travel to Somalia or Somaliland until the ban is lifted.
