Taiwan accuses China of pressuring Somalia to ban Taiwanese passport holders

FILE: Somali President Hassan Sheikh [L] and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping

TAIPEI, April 30 — Taiwan on Tuesday condemned Somalia’s decision to ban holders of Taiwanese passports from entering or transiting through the country, accusing China of pressuring Mogadishu into enforcing the move in line with Beijing’s “One-China” policy.

The travel restriction, which took effect Wednesday, was implemented by Somali aviation authorities following a directive issued last week. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the action politically motivated and demanded its immediate reversal.

“This is a blatant infringement on the rights and safety of Taiwanese nationals,” the ministry said in a statement. “It is yet another example of China’s attempts to marginalize Taiwan internationally.”

Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its territory, has been seeking to expand its international presence, including through deepening ties with Somaliland — a breakaway region of Somalia that declared independence in 1991 but is not widely recognized.

Somalia has not publicly commented on the ban. The BBC, which first reported the development, cited diplomatic sources linking the move to Beijing’s influence.

China has ramped up diplomatic pressure on governments and international organizations to avoid any form of engagement that could be seen as legitimizing Taiwan’s sovereignty.

GAROWE ONLINE