Somalia threatens to suspend Ethiopian Airlines over sovereignty spat

Nairobi: Somalia s aviation authority threatened to suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to the country, state media said Wednesday, the latest act...

Nairobi: Somalia's aviation authority threatened to suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to the country, state media said Wednesday, the latest act in a long-running dispute over a breakaway region.

Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year with Somaliland to lease 20 kilometres (12 miles) of coast for 50 years, allowing the landlocked country much-desired access to the coast.

In return Somaliland -- which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991 -- has said Ethiopia will become the first country to formally recognise it, a step Addis Ababa has yet to confirm.

Ethiopian Airlines flies to Somaliland's largest city Hargeisa, as well as to Somalia's capital Mogadishu and four Somalian provincial cities.

The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said that state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier, had not addressed previous complaints on the "sovereignty issues" and was "removing references to Somali destinations, and retaining only Airport Codes".