Somalia summons Kenyan ambassador after minister reportedly denied entry

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has reportedly summoned Kenya’s ambassador in Mogadishu after State Minister at the Presidency Abshir Bukhaari was allegedly denied entry into Kenya and sent back to the Somali capital.

Kenyan immigration officials reportedly questioned a Kenyan passport that Bukhaari was said to have been carrying, according to reports.

The incident is expected to further strain relations between the two neighbouring countries, which have faced repeated diplomatic disagreements in recent months affecting their political ties.

According to international media reports, including Germany’s DW, Bukhaari was held at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi before being ordered to return to Mogadishu. No official explanation has so far been provided for the decision.

The reported incident comes less than a month after Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji was also reportedly denied entry into Kenya over allegations that he had obtained a Kenyan passport unlawfully.

Neither the Somali nor Kenyan governments have officially commented on reports that Bukhaari was refused entry or that Kenya’s ambassador was summoned for questioning over the matter.

If confirmed, the incident would mark the second time in less than a month that a senior Somali government official has reportedly been denied entry into Kenya, potentially deepening diplomatic tensions between the two East African neighbours.

GAROWE ONLINE