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Hargeisa, Somaliland — U.S. Senator Jim Risch has delivered a sharp rebuke of Somalia’s ban on Taiwanese passport holders, calling it a clear contradiction between Mogadishu’s claims of sovereignty and its glaring governance failures.
“Somalia bows to China while militants roam freely in its core regions,” Risch tweeted, casting a spotlight on a policy decision that has reverberated across Washington and the Horn of Africa.
In a rare and forceful intervention, Representatives Tom Tiffany and Andy Ogles issued an ultimatum to Somalia: reverse the April 22 travel ban targeting Taiwanese passport holders or face immediate diplomatic and immigration sanctions.
Their letter to Somalia’s ambassador in Washington condemned the directive as a violation of international norms and a provocation driven by Beijing’s geopolitical agenda. Citing the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act (TAIPEI Act) of 2020, the lawmakers warned that the United States is legally obligated to reassess its relationship with governments that undermine Taiwan’s international space.
Outlined consequences include:
- Termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals legally residing in the U.S.
- Suspension of U.S. visa processing for Somali citizens
- Possible shuttering of Somalia’s embassy in Washington, effectively freezing bilateral relations
Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority issued the directive on April 22, effective April 30. Airlines were instructed not to carry passengers holding Taiwanese passports for entry, transit, or departure through Somali territory. The move, while framed as an administrative regulation, is widely seen as a geopolitical signal — and a dangerous precedent.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the ban as a restriction on democratic freedoms, enacted under Chinese pressure. Beijing, unsurprisingly, welcomed the move. Its Foreign Ministry described it as a sign that Somalia “firmly abides by the One-China principle.”
Somalia’s current Defense Minister tried to justify the decision by accusing Taiwan of opening “an embassy” in Somaliland and training local security forces. Yet those claims stand in stark contrast to Taiwan’s documented development initiatives in Somaliland — which emphasize health, education, and economic investment.
In 2021, Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corporation acquired a 49% working interest in Somaliland’s SL10B/13 oil block, a resource-rich zone with an estimated two billion barrels of potential reserves. This economic stake underscores Taiwan’s real focus: energy and development — not military influence.
Somalia, which exercises no administrative control over Somaliland, is instead attempting to assert symbolic dominance via aviation regulations. Its control of regional airspace — granted through outdated UN frameworks — is now being used as a tool of isolation against Somaliland.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry was blunt: “Somalia is preventing democratic nations from engaging with one another by manipulating international airspace protocols.”
As ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Risch’s critique carries real weight. His comments highlight the absurdity of Somalia investing resources into isolating Taiwan while failing to secure its own capital from Al-Shabaab.
Risch’s influence in Washington is further magnified by his close alliance with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two veteran lawmakers forged a partnership during their years together on the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees, where they developed a shared worldview on issues ranging from China policy to Taiwan’s international standing. Their coordinated messaging on the Somalia passport ban reflects a seamless alignment between the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and State Department on countering Beijing’s growing influence in strategic regions like the Horn of Africa.
Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy was even more direct: “Somalia acts like a global power, but remains an international beggar. Its leaders should actually read the TAIPEI Act.”
While Mogadishu pushes diplomatic feuds, it continues to cede large swaths of territory to militants. In the past five weeks alone, U.S. Africa Command has conducted four airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab and ISIS-linked operatives.
This strategic dissonance — attacking travel documents while ignoring real threats — exemplifies why U.S. policymakers are losing patience.
Senators Risch, Ted Cruz, and Rick Scott have introduced the “AUSSOM Funding Restriction Act of 2025,” a bill that would cut U.S. support for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia until accountability measures are met.
Though not explicitly linked to the Taiwan ban, the bill adds further pressure on a government increasingly seen in Washington as unreliable, unserious, and unaccountable.
This diplomatic escalation unfolds against the backdrop of Ethiopia’s January 2025 memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, granting Ethiopian naval forces access to 20 kilometers of coastline. Somalia’s response — aligning with Turkey and Egypt and intensifying pressure on Somaliland — signals a broader campaign to block Somaliland’s international partnerships by any means available.
In this context, the Taiwan passport ban is not an isolated measure — it’s a piece of a deliberate, multi-pronged effort to isolate a self-governing territory that has functioned independently since 1991.
The ban is just the latest in Somalia’s long-standing strategy: use international legitimacy to enforce symbolic control over Somaliland while failing to provide services, security, or governance.
At the African Union and United Nations, Somalia routinely invokes territorial integrity to block any discussion of Somaliland’s legal claim to statehood — even as its actual governance stops far short of Somaliland’s borders.
By co-opting international regulatory frameworks like airspace control, Somalia is extending its writ far beyond its administrative reach — an act of diplomatic theater that undermines both sovereignty and stability.
While Somaliland has remained largely quiet, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is working with the Somaliland government to push back against Somalia’s action. A joint statement urged democratic governments to challenge the misuse of international mechanisms to restrict travel and interaction.
The coordination points to a mature bilateral relationship — one rooted in common values and mutual strategic interests.
“Somalia’s alignment with Beijing’s anti-Taiwan agenda has crossed a red line for American lawmakers,” a senior Washington diplomat told Somaliland Chronicle on condition of anonymity. “There’s growing evidence this wasn’t Somalia’s decision — it was Beijing’s choreography.”
The move came just days after Chinese state media praised Somalia’s loyalty to the One-China policy. It also came without any internal debate or legal review inside Somalia — raising questions about sovereignty in practice.
As Senator Risch noted, the contradiction is glaring: a government that cannot secure its own roads now claims the authority to deny entry over airspace it does not control.
“Somalia is playing geopolitical chess without the protections of real sovereignty,” said a Western diplomat in Nairobi. “In this contest between superpowers, Mogadishu has positioned itself as a pawn — but it’s pretending to be a king.”
Developing story: Somaliland Chronicle will continue monitoring the situation.