Domestic flights connecting Mogadishu and Puntland were disrupted this morning after the Somali government enforced a requirement that domestic travelers must possess the NIRA national identity card.
Passengers on a Freedom Airlines flight departing from Garowe for Mogadishu and Nairobi were informed at the airport that they could not travel because they did not hold the national identity card.
Puntland is one of the regions where the NIRA card is not currently issued, as the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) does not maintain offices there. Consequently, some travelers were forced to return from the airport.
In September, NIRA announced that, effective October 1, 2026, individuals without the national identity card would be unable to travel between the country’s regions; the agency urged the public to register at its centers to obtain the card.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had previously stated that a time would come when the NIRA card would be essential for various public services, citing travel, passport acquisition, opening bank accounts, and telecommunications services as examples. The President stated that individuals lacking national identification will face difficulties accessing certain services in the future, whereas those holding the card will find it easier to obtain the services they need.
The implementation of this requirement has sparked concern in Puntland, as residents there have not yet had the opportunity to register with the NIRA system; the measure has already affected people seeking to travel between Puntland and Mogadishu.
