IN SHORT: A circulating document claims that the International Civil Aviation Organisation has assumed control of Somalia's airspace. But an ICAO spokesperson told Africa Check the letter was inauthentic.
A document circulating on Facebook claims the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has taken control of Somalia's upper airspace, where international and long-haul aircraft typically fly.
ICAO is the United Nations agency that sets global standards for safe and orderly air travel and supports countries in improving their aviation systems.
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The document appears to come from ICAO's regional office in Nairobi, Kenya and is signed by Barry Kashambo, identified as the organisation's regional director for eastern and southern Africa.
According to it, the organisation suspended the oversight role of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) for failing to meet international aviation safety standards, citing a technical assessment that found major gaps in the country's oversight systems.
It adds that the arrangement is temporary until Somalia shows full compliance with standards. Once verified, sovereign control of the airspace would be returned to the SCAA.
The document, dated 16 February 2026, has been posted here, here and here.
It began circulating after a Starsky Fokker 50 plane crash-landed off the coast of Mogadishu in February. All 50 passengers and five crew members survived unharmed.
Somalia has been rebuilding its aviation sector after years of instability. But does ICAO have interim oversight of Somalia's upper airspace? We checked.
Fake document
If genuine, a document like this one would have been widely reported by credible news outlets. We did not find such reporting.
There is no mention of this letter on ICAO's Facebook or X accounts, and it doesn't appear on the SCAA website, further raising doubts about its authenticity.
The letter is attributed to Barry Kashambo. He was indeed ICAO's regional director - but from 2015 to 2023, meaning he no longer held that position when the letter began circulating in 2026.
ICAO also cannot control, manage or take over a country's airspace. Implementing its standards remains the sole responsibility of member states.
Africa Check contacted ICAO's communications officer William Raillant-Clark to verify the document. He confirmed that it was fake.
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"We wish to advise that the attachment to your message below did not originate from ICAO and is not authentic ICAO correspondence," Raillant-Clark said.
