Somalia has officially barred entry to holders of Taiwanese passports, citing adherence to a United Nations resolution as the primary reason for the move.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by attributing the decision to mounting pressure from the Chinese government on Mogadishu.
The ban comes at a time when Taiwan has been strengthening diplomatic and developmental ties with Somaliland, a self-declared independent region in northern Somalia.
The growing partnership between Taiwan and Somaliland has drawn criticism from Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and opposes any formal relations between it and other entities.
Somalia, which supports the “One China” policy, appears to have acted in line with Beijing’s position, further straining Taiwan’s international travel and diplomatic space.
