Taiwan has accused China of pressuring Somalia into blocking entry to holders of Taiwanese passports, following an official notice that took effect on Wednesday.
According to Taiwan’s foreign ministry, Somalia’s civil aviation authority informed airlines that as of April 30, people travelling with Taiwanese passports would no longer be allowed to enter or transit through the country.
Taipei criticised the move, calling it a restriction on the freedom and safety of its citizens and demanding that Mogadishu revoke the decision.
The ministry also rejected Somalia’s justification for the ban, which it said was based on a distorted interpretation of United Nations Resolution 2758 and China’s “one-China principle.”
Somalia’s decision comes during warming relations between Taiwan and Somaliland — a region that declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognised.
In 2020, Somaliland and Taiwan established reciprocal representative offices, strengthening unofficial ties based on shared values as democratic but largely unrecognised territories.
Beijing welcomed Somalia’s action. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described it as a “legitimate” step that reinforces Somalia’s support for the one-China policy.
He also expressed China’s backing of Somalia’s territorial claim over Somaliland.
Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, was removed from the United Nations in 1971 and replaced by the People’s Republic of China.
Since then, Beijing has stepped up efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, limiting its presence in global institutions and reducing its official allies to just 11 countries and the Vatican.
Despite this, nations, including the United States, continue to maintain informal but strong ties with Taipei.
