Tuesday September 17, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) – Flights between Mogadishu and Baidoa were temporarily halted on Tuesday morning, leaving passengers stranded at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport.
The disruption affected businessmen, students, medical patients, and a deceased individual being transported for burial.
Spokesperson for the Southwest presidential palace, Mohamed
Ali Ibrahim, condemned the move as an attempt to "humiliate" the
people of Southwest state, vowing it would not be tolerated. Senator Adam
Abdinasir also criticized the federal government, calling the stoppage a
“blatant attack” on the Southwest community.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) stated that there have been no changes or interruptions to daily flights to Baidoa, though no further details were provided.
The flight disruption comes at a time of escalating tensions between the federal government and regional states, particularly over the planned withdrawal of Ethiopian forces under the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), set to conclude in December 2024. Both Southwest and Jubbaland states have opposed the withdrawal, fearing it could destabilize security in their regions.
Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre recently visited Baidoa in an attempt to ease political conflicts between the federal government and Southwest state leaders. The flight suspension has added to the already delicate political climate, with regional leaders expressing growing frustration over what they perceive as federal overreach.