Somalia threatens to impose ban on miraa from Kenya
Sunday December 25, 2016
Last week, officials from the Federal Government accused Kenya of remaining silent over a deal that would save Somalis the agony of having to land in Wajir for security checks before proceeding to Nairobi.
"Somalia and Kenya had an agreement to ease these restrictions because both airports in Nairobi and Mogadishu can handle security checks before anyone can board,” an official told the Sunday Nation from Mogadishu last week.
Since 2006 when Somalia fell among the Union of Islamic Courts (which morphed into al-Shabaab), Kenya imposed a security restriction requiring all flights from the troubled country to first land in Wajir before proceeding to any other airport in Kenya.
This requirement, Kenya says, is meant to ensure all cargo and passengers are screened before entering the country. But Somalia has been lobbying Nairobi to lift it, arguing its airports have sufficient security checks.
BAN LIFTED
Somalia had in September banned miraa flights from Kenya, accusing Meru Governor Peter Munya of seeking a trade agreement with the country’s breakaway region of Somaliland in exchange for some sort of recognition.
But amid the pressure from farmers back home to have the ban on miraa lifted, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his host had a sideline meeting to
On Saturday, Somali Ambassador to Kenya Gamal Hassan declined to divulge further information although he did agree an agreement signed in September was to be effective from early this month.
"We are in discussion with the Government of Kenya on this issue and very soon we will let the public know when the direct flights will start,” he told the Nation.
The Nation has not seen a copy of the agreement. But a communique issued after the meeting and read to the media by Foreign Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed states that the two countries had agreed to boost security at airports in Mogadishu and Nairobi within three months.
"The two heads of state agreed to promote trade between our two countries. They agreed to remove all restrictive measures on
DOWNPLAYED THREAT
On Saturday,
"We are working with the Federal Government on this and many other issues. All is well,” she said.
On Thursday,
Kenya exports about 540 planeloads of miraa to Somalia every month, which is mostly grown in Meru County.
On Saturday, MPs Kathuri Murungi (South Imenti),
"Somalia should reciprocate the support which Kenya government has accorded them for many years especially in
Somalia threatens to impose ban on miraa from Kenya
Somalia is threatening to re-impose a ban on miraa from Kenya in what it accuses Nairobi of disregarding an agreement to resume direct flights with Mogadishu.