The Somali Minister and MPs arrived back in Mogadishu this morning, Kenya refuses entry Visa three Somali diplomat effectively skipping a meeting that had been scheduled with the European Union. The three junior Minister of Water and Energy Osman Libah and legislators Ilyas Ali Hassan and Zamzam Dahir arrived in Mogadishu in the morning after an overnight stay at the airport.
Ironically, their counterparts who hold other nationalities were allowed in. Planning Minister Gamal Mohamed, National Security Advisor Abdi Said Ali and Health Minister Dr Fowyziya Abikar after producing European and Canadian passports respectively.
Kenyan diplomatic hierarchy has remained mum at the embarrassing situation, given that the government officials were traveling on diplomatic passports. Traditionally, under a bilateral arrangement, diplomatic passport holders are granted entry visas at ports of entry. The latest move is seen as a diplomatic assault on Somalia by Kenya, who only recently blocked direct flights to Nairobi, directing that all planes from the Somalia stop at Wajir for security checks.
The two countries have been court cases over Maritime dispute over oil fields, a case that has since been taken up by the International Court of Justice. On Tuesday morning, Kenyan police forces raided and closed five Somali money transfer operated by Somali nationals. It was not clear why the raid was conducted despite the fact that the businessmen had all the needed permits.