Saturday December 25, 2021
MOGADISHU (HOL) - UN and AMISOM staff will now have to use the main terminal at Aden Adde Airport in Mogadishu following the closure of their dedicated terminal by Somali government over accusations of unauthorised use by travelers with no requisite documents and smuggling of ‘uncontrolled commodities’.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to UN and Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) which provides logistics support to AMISOM on 22 December directing the closure of MOVCON terminal ‘until further notice.’
“The Ministry is informing you that the Federal Government of Somalia has announced MOVCON Terminal is closed until further notice to ensure the continuity of the normal services,” the letter read in part.
According to the letter, both the UNSOS and AMISOM had allowed travellers with no or incomplete documentation to enter the country in addition to instances where traveler which use unofficial gates the MOVCON terminal which ‘immigration staff are restricted to oversee’.
“There are UN contractors within the Aden Abdulle International Airport who exploit the MOVCON terminals as well as unofficial gates to smuggle uncontrolled commodities, the letter adds.
The government is also accusing the UN of landing flights Aden Adde Airport without prior submission of essential documents such as the manifest through the official immigration communication channels.
Somali government also says its unarmed police officers and immigration officials who were deployed at the terminal on December 20 were ejected by AMISOM and UN security contractors.