MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s federal government on Wednesday suspended all flights between Mogadishu and Dolow in the Gedo region, further escalating tensions with Jubaland leadership and leaving travelers stranded for a second day amidst the rapidly worsening political standoff, Caasimada Online news website reported on Thursday.
The federal government’s suspension of flights to Dolow serves as retaliation for the arrest of six army officers, who were detained by local authorities aligned with Jubaland leadership while en route to the nearby town of Elwak in the same region.
Efforts to resume the flights have been unequivocally thwarted, as the federal government remains resolute in upholding the suspension until further notice.
The Somali federal government is actively seeking to consolidate its control over the Gedo region, aiming to displace forces loyal to Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe from strategic towns, and has recently deployed a substantial military presence, including troops and heavy weaponry, to El Wak town in preparation for the operation.
Tensions are soaring as Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe moves forward with a contentious, unilateral indirect election, in which a carefully selected group of MPs, handpicked by local elders, will choose between him and a roster of politically unknown, financially motivated candidates, guaranteeing his uncontested re-election.
The administration of former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo employed similar tactics, including grounding flights to Jubaland-controlled towns and deploying troops to seize territories in the Gedo region, as retaliation for Ahmed Madobe’s unilateral 2019 election, in which he secured an uncontested re-election.
Despite Farmajo’s capture of key towns in the Gedo region, ousting Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe proved elusive, as it had for his predecessors, with current President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud among the vocal supporters of Madobe at the time, while his current Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre was entrusted with overseeing the election process and selecting two strategically chosen “best man” candidates to ensure Madobe’s uncontested and decisive victory.
It remains uncertain how President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will navigate his political fight against the still-resilient Ahmed Madobe, who continues to benefit from the support of Kenyan forces, poised to eliminate any obstacles in his path, as they have in past confrontations with Farmajo, who, at the time, relied on the backing of Ethiopia’s military.
Critics of Villa Somalia, among others, are raising questions about how President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Prime Minister, who previously fully endorsed Ahmed Madobe’s electoral process and played instrumental roles in validating it, can now denounce the same procedure as wrong and unconstitutional—were they wrong then, or is the wrongdoing only apparent when it conflicts with their political agendas?
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