Kenya suspends flights to and from Somalia

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) on Tuesday suspended all flights to Mogadishu except for emergency medical evacuation and UN flights.

In a statement, the KCAA said that "all flights between Kenya and Somalia are suspended except medevac flights and United Nations flights on humanitarian missions only," without saying why it had imposed the measure.

Last December, Somalia severed diplomatic ties with Kenya, accusing Nairobi of interfering in Mogadishu's internal affairs.

Somalia's Deputy Information Minister Abdirahman Yusuf on May 5 announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with Kenya, saying this was in the interest of both countries.

The Kenyan Foreign Ministry responded to Somalia's statement, saying it looks forward to restoring bilateral ties.

Before the reconciliation, Kenya and Somalia were embroiled in a diplomatic row that crippled security, education, and trade ties between the two East African neighbors.