Hargeysa (Diplomat.so) - a private Dash 8-Q400 plane operated by Ethiopian Airlines, with flight number ET8372, was intercepted and returned from Somali airspace. The aircraft was en route to Hargeisa Airport, the capital of the northwestern region of Somalia, under the Somaliland administration.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) officially declared that the aircraft lacked proper authorization to traverse Somali airspace. Consequently, it was redirected in compliance with national laws governing such matters.
Reports suggest that the plane was carrying a high-level delegation, including senior leaders from the Ethiopian army and political and security advisors from the office of the Ethiopian Prime Minister. The purpose of the delegation's visit was reported to be a meeting with Muse Bihi Abdi, the leader of the separatists in Hargeisa.
Earlier, the Federal Government of Somalia asserted the illegality of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Somaliland administration and Ethiopia on January 1. The government maintains that the northwestern region, often referred to as "Somaliland," is an integral and indivisible part of Somalia.
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