Political tension has flared up between the Federal Government of Somalia and the South West State after a number of ministers from the administration were prevented from traveling to Baidoa.
The ministers, who are said to be part of the South West, were led by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Mohamed Ibrahim Barre, and were also accompanied by the Minister of Health, Said Ahmed Ali, the Minister of Ports, Mohamed Haji Osman, and the Minister of Justice, Abdulkadir Yuruf.
Justice Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, who spoke to the media, said that he did not expect the government to take today’s action against them and stated that this is a violation of the country’s Constitution.
Reports indicate that these officials were prevented from traveling while they were at Aden Adde Airport in Mogadishu, where they were about to depart for Baidoa.
Health Minister Said Ahmed Ali spoke harshly about the matter in a post published on his Facebook page, accusing the security agencies of specifically targeting him and other officials from the South West.
He said he was even denied a boarding pass and was not allowed to enter the airport hall, although the other members of the delegation were there.
The minister also accused the Federal Government of deliberately suspending flights to Baidoa for the second consecutive day, which he described as a harassment of the people and officials of the South West.
Meanwhile, there has been no official response from the Federal Government of Somalia to these serious allegations, although this move comes at a time of intensifying political conflict between the two sides.
