(04-06-23) MOGADISHU — The ongoing conflict between the administrations of Gedo and Jubaland, in southern Somalia, has precipitated a flight ban imposed by the federal government. This development came in response to Gedo’s refusal to recognize the new head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) appointed by Jubaland. The region is now in its eighth day of enforced isolation.
The conflict between Gedo and Jubaland’s administrations further escalated after Ahmed Madobe, the president of Jubaland, pressured the federal government to bring back the Gedo administration under Jubaland’s control.
In the wake of this dispute, once lively airstrips in Balad-Hawo, Luuq, Dolow, and Bardhere now sit desolate, an eerie silence replacing the once customary hum of aircraft engines. As a result, thousands of citizens across the region are feeling the ban’s impact.
A local resident, who requested anonymity due to the volatile situation, lamented, “It’s distressing that no plane has landed in Gedo for over a week. Those responsible are punishing us.”
The imposed flight ban has had immediate and far-reaching repercussions. Residents who rely on air travel for their livelihoods or personal needs are now stranded. Patients requiring specialized healthcare, students commuting for studies, businesspeople on travel, state employees fulfilling duties, trainees facing deadlines, and pilgrims participating in the ongoing Hajj are all severely affected.
A local businessman expressed his frustration, “We don’t deserve to be punished due to political differences. This is suffocating our businesses, and the hardships it imposes on others are numerous.”
As the stalemate drags on, residents of Gedo are calling for an urgent resolution to the dispute and an end to the flight ban. A local university student emphasized, “Our lives shouldn’t be collateral in this power struggle. We just want to proceed with our lives.”
Amid the administrative deadlock, the implications of the ban continue to reverberate across the region. The future actions of both the Gedo and Jubaland administrations are a cause for speculation and concern.
The situation is further complicated by severe flooding in Bardhere, one of the affected towns. This has exacerbated the region’s humanitarian needs. The flight ban has disrupted the timely delivery of essential aid and left residents with no choice but to seek out dangerous alternate routes, often through territories controlled by the Al-Shabaab militant group. The plight of these communities underscores the human cost of the administrative impasse and highlights the urgent need for a resolution to the flight ban.
