Uganda has urged Somalia to fast-track a bilateral aviation agreement to secure Uganda Airlines' operations between Mogadishu and Entebbe, as both countries seek to expand trade, investment and economic cooperation.
MOGADISHU (Somali Report) – Uganda has urged Somalia to accelerate the completion of a bilateral air services agreement to provide a clear legal framework for Uganda Airlines' operations between Mogadishu and Entebbe, as economic ties between the two countries deepen.
Uganda Airlines currently operates four non-stop flights a week between the two cities, making it the only carrier offering direct scheduled services on the route.
However, Kampala says the airline has encountered operational challenges in Somalia and believes a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) would clarify the rights and obligations of both governments and establish a more predictable regulatory framework.
Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, permanent secretary at Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said negotiations on the agreement needed to be concluded urgently.
"Whenever it is finalised, we are ready to sign," Bagiire said.
He was speaking at a meeting held in Mogadishu in October to review progress on resolutions adopted during the second session of the Somalia-Uganda Joint Permanent Commission.
The meeting, hosted at the Airport Hotel, was accompanied by a business and investment forum and an exhibition attended by officials and business representatives from both countries.
The two governments subsequently agreed to submit a revised draft of the aviation agreement to their respective legal departments ahead of a planned signing in December.
A bilateral air services agreement establishes the legal basis for commercial flights between two countries. It typically specifies which airlines can operate, the airports they can serve, flight frequencies, passenger and cargo capacity, and the routes available to carriers.
It can also address overflight permissions, technical stops, ticket pricing, aviation taxes, customs procedures and safety and security requirements.
The issue has been under discussion since the second session of the joint commission, held in Kampala in October 2025, when aviation authorities from both countries were instructed to review the agreement.
Uganda has also submitted draft memorandums of understanding to Somalia covering customs, standards and quality assurance, statistics, health, and military training and education.
Growing trade ties
The push to finalise the aviation agreement comes amid expanding commercial relations between the two countries.
Data from UN Comtrade and the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) show that Uganda's exports to Somalia increased from about $2.75 million in 2023 to nearly $6.78 million in 2024.
Major exports included rolled tobacco, aircraft parts and wood products. Somali exports to Uganda, meanwhile, remained relatively small, estimated at between $35,000 and $75,000 annually.
Somali Report · Newsletter
Your morning briefing on Somalia's biggest stories — politics, security, business, and the people shaping the region's future.
Annual remittances sent from Somalia to Uganda are estimated at more than $21 million, while a significant number of Somali businesspeople operate in Uganda.
"Trade between Uganda and Somalia has grown significantly. However, we believe private-sector businesses can achieve much more than these figures," Bagiire said.
He said Somalia's long coastline could provide Uganda, a landlocked country, with access to markets in the Gulf region through its ports.
Bagiire described Mogadishu as a city with the potential to become the "new Dubai" of the East African Community if both countries improved the movement of goods and businesspeople.
Somalia formally joined the East African Community in March 2024 as its eighth member, raising expectations of greater regional trade and economic integration.
Labour agreement signed
During the Mogadishu meeting, the two governments also signed an agreement aimed at regulating the movement and employment of workers between Somalia and Uganda.
Uganda's Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, General Henry Tumukunde, and Somalia's Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Professor Saalim Aliyow Ibro, signed the agreement.
It establishes procedures for recruitment, employment contracts, wages and the protection of workers' rights and welfare.
The agreement also seeks to address complaints involving unpaid salaries, confiscated passports and workers employed without written contracts.
"When we harmonise our regulations and remove trade barriers, we unlock regional trade and production chains," Tumukunde said.
Hamza Adan Hadow, permanent secretary at Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, urged both governments to translate their agreements into tangible benefits for their populations.
"We must ensure that our cooperation does not remain agreements written on paper, but delivers concrete benefits to the people of Somalia and Uganda," Hadow said.
The two sides also endorsed resolutions reached during the meeting and agreed to complete the establishment of a Joint Permanent Investment and Trade Council before the end of November.
Somalia is expected to host the third session of the Joint Permanent Commission in 2027, with both governments pledging to review progress on implementing their agreements annually.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
