Abu Dhabi: The UAE has condemned Somali authorities for holding an Emirati-registered private passenger plane in Mogadishu airport on Sunday.
The authorities also commandeered cash from the plane that was destined to help security forces in Mogadishu.
The plane was carrying 47 soldiers from UAE and was delayed for several hours. During that time, armed Somali security officers boarded the plane and allegedly "badly treated" the passengers while they took cash that was part of funds dedicated to help Somalia according to an MoU between the UAE and Somali government.
The government of the UAE has condemned this illegal behavior in Mogadishu, stating that it breaks international law.
In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry said: “This illegal step is in contravention to diplomatic international practices between nations”, and is considered a breach of the MoU.