Eritrea today announced a ban on Ethiopian airlines flights. Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority issued a statement in this regard.
The Authority accused Ethiopian airlines of providing poor customer service to Eritrean passengers.
“Cognizant of the consistent and persistent malicious trade practices pursued by Ethiopian airline in general and systematic and organizers passengers’ luggage theft, pilferage, damage, prolonged delay and loss with no compensation in particular, coupled with unjustified and unwarranted price hikes and other irregularities witnessed,” said the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority in the statement.
Ethiopian airline was repeatedly contacted to rectify issues but it did not listen, said the Eritreans Authority said. The ban will come into force on September 30, 2024.
The Eritrean ban on Ethiopian airline seems linked to bilateral tensions over other issues. In May, Brigade Nhamedu, an anti Eritrean government opposition group, held, a meeting in Addis Ababa. The venue of the meeting was situated close to Eritrean embassy in Ethiopia. Brigade Nhamedu, under the auspices of the Ethiopian government, held another meeting in Addis Ababa later.
Eritrean government calls Brigade Nhamedu “a non Eritrean entity backed by hostile intelligence agencies and Eritrean enemies”. The group has been involved in attacks on Eritrean government backed festivals in Europe and North America. Brigade Nhamedu members say that their struggle is for peaceful democratic change in Eritrea where one man has been in power without elections for the last three decades. It seems that Ethiopian government’s backing for Brigade Nhamedu was an attempt to provoke Eritrean government.
Hundreds of Eritrean passengers transit through Ethiopia. It would be interesting to see how Ethiopia reacts to this decision by the Eritrean government.
Somalia has also been considering a ban on Ethiopian airlines. Somalia and Ethiopia are not on good terms. Since January, they have been locked in a dispute over a controversial MoU signed by Ethiopia with Somaliland. President Hassan Sheikh of Somalia and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki are getting along well. President of Somalia has visited Eritrea four times in the last 2 years. Will Somalia join Eritrea in banning Ethiopian airlines?
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What is really amazing is, this article try to politicise the decision made by Eritrean aviation. In really people have being mistreated by Ethiopian Airlines for far to long. It is as simple as that. I personally have experienced it. So shup the f,,k up and suck it and accept the really.
it is not that simple. Why the decision has been taken now? I know about Eritrean passengers’ complaints. Complaints are not new. The decision is linked other issues not just poor customer service