Taiwan’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that Somalia has banned entry to holders of Taiwanese passports, citing compliance with a U.N. resolution. Taiwan condemned the move, attributing it to Chinese pressure as Taiwan strengthens ties with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region in the Horn of Africa.
Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia in 1991, has not received widespread international recognition. While Somalia remains embroiled in civil war, Somaliland has enjoyed relative peace. Taiwan and Somaliland established representative offices in each other’s capitals in 2020, angering both Mogadishu and Beijing.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the Somali Civil Aviation Authority had announced that Taiwanese passports would no longer be accepted for entry as of Wednesday. The ministry expressed its protest, blaming China for instigating the action and called on Somalia to revoke the ban immediately.
Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority has not responded to inquiries, and China’s foreign ministry did not provide comment either.
The move is reportedly in line with U.N. Resolution 2758, passed in 1971, which recognized the Beijing government as China’s representative at the United Nations, reinforcing the “one China” principle. Taiwan, along with the United States, argues that the resolution does not address Taiwan’s status and that China has misinterpreted its intent to support its sovereignty claim over Taiwan.