Somalia bars entry to Taiwanese amid dispute over Somaliland

Somalia barred Taiwanese passport holders from entering the country after Taipei sought stronger ties with the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Mogadishu claims Somaliland as its territory — as China does with Taiwan — but Taipei and Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, have exchanged ambassadors. Taiwan has also backed Somaliland’s claim to be independently recognized, and supported it with training and aid.

Somalia’s decision is a win for China as it expands its influence across Africa: Beijing has long tried to push African governments to stop recognising Taipei diplomatically in order to isolate Taiwan.

The Somalia-Somaliland dispute is “one of the Horn of Africa’s most complicated and unresolved issues,” an analyst told The New York Times, and the passport decision adds a worrying “global geopolitical element.”