Somalia bans entry of Taiwan citizens in bid to please China: Taipei

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan claimed that China had put pressure on the East African nation to implement the measures, and that now the ban applies to all Taiwanese passport holders.

The self-ruled island’s government, claimed by China, claimed that Somalia’s civil aviation authority had last week made a statement about the new policy that went into effect on Wednesday night.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for the Somali government to revoke the notice, stating that it had been strongly protested by the country’s government’s policy to restrict Taiwanese nationals’ ability to travel freely and safely.

The ministry also cited Somalia’s reference to UN Resolution 2758, which in 1971 urged member states to appoint Beijing as the “only lawful representatives of China” as its “only legitimate representatives.”

The “misinterpretation” of the UN resolution by Somalia was “firmly rejected and condemned,” the UN resolution’s author asserting that Mogadishu had used it to “create the false impression that Taiwan was a part of the People’s Republic of China.”

The move comes as Taiwan’s ties with Somaliland, a breakaway nation that declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 but is still unrecognised by the majority of the world, are deepening.

In Mogadishu, there is resentment over the two self-governing territories’ de facto embassies opening in their respective capitals in 2020.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the decision was a legitimate step to advance Somalia’s interests and demonstrated that “Sofia firmly adheres to the one China principle.” Beijing “highly applauds” the decision, he added, and pledges to support Mogadishu’s claim to Somaliland.

He added that China opposes “any kind of official exchange” between Somaliland and Taiwan.

limited recognition

Taiwan, which is known as the Republic of China, lost its UN seat to China in 1971, the year before it was expelled from the World Health Organization.

While only 11 nations and the Vatican formally recognize Taiwan as a state, many nations, including the United States, maintain close, unofficial ties.

Taiwan is considered to be part of China’s territory, and it is not a foregone conclusion to use force to conquer it.

The travel ban in Somalia is unlikely to have a significant impact, according to Taiwan’s state news agency Focus Taiwan, pointing out that Taiwanese citizens only rarely travel there.