An order reportedly issued by the Federal Presidency of Somalia has stopped planes carrying security forces for the presidents of Puntland and Jubbaland, which were scheduled to land in Mogadishu today.
Puntland and Jubbaland officials confirmed that the Federal Government had prevented the planes carrying troops and delegations from landing in Mogadishu ahead of the trip of the presidents of the two states.
The two planes that were denied landing in Mogadishu have returned to the cities of Kismayo and Garowe.
The move is feared to disrupt the holding of a conference between the Federal Government and the regional states to discuss electoral issues.
The Somali government has expressed its anger over the military planes flying from Garowe and Kismayo, believing that military planes landing at Aden Adde Airport paints a false picture of security in the capital.
The opposition’s technical committee, according to information we have received, was disappointed with the decision to turn back the planes carrying troops, accusing the Somali presidency of looking for a reason to thwart the conference it had organized.
Officials from both administrations are set to release a statement on Villa Somalia’s decision to suspend the deployment of security forces for the leaders of the two administrations in Mogadishu.
