Puntland, Jubbaland issue statements after flights blocked ahead of Mogadishu talks

Somalia’s long-anticipated national consultative dialogue in Mogadishu was thrown into uncertainty today after a dispute over security arrangements disrupted the planned opening of the talks.

The meeting was expected to bring together the federal government, opposition leaders, and regional presidents to address contentious issues including the election model and proposed constitutional reforms. Instead, tensions escalated when Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) deployed armored vehicles and heavily armed security personnel for their travel to Mogadishu, citing safety concerns.

Federal authorities responded by blocking aircraft carrying the additional security forces, a move that prompted criticism from both regional administrations.

In a statement, the Puntland government accused Villa Somalia of endangering lives and undermining the dialogue. “It is unfortunate that the Villa Somalia leadership has today risked the lives of Puntland President’s security detail and Puntland government officials traveling to Mogadishu as an advance team in response to the dialogue invitation from the Federal Government,” the statement said.

Puntland said the action violated prior arrangements agreed between the Somalia Future Council and federal technical teams, and accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of repeatedly attempting to derail the conference.

“This is a pattern of obstructing the good faith of the scheduled conference in Mogadishu,” the statement added, calling on Somali political stakeholders and international partners to condemn the move.

Jubbaland issued a separate statement expressing what it described as “profound disappointment and condemnation” over the federal government’s decision. According to Jubbaland authorities, an aircraft carrying an advance delegation and members of the president’s security team departed from Sayid Mohamed Abdille Hassan International Airport in Kismayo after prior notification to the Civil Aviation Authority, conference organizers, and federal security agencies. However, as the plane approached Mogadishu, it was ordered to return to Kismayo without verification of whether it had sufficient fuel.

“This irresponsible decision placed the advance delegation and the President of Jubaland’s security detail in direct danger,” the statement said. Jubbaland also claimed that two civilian aircraft carrying passengers were turned away from Mogadishu’s airspace the same day, warning that such actions created “chaos and serious security risks.”

The regional administration rejected reports that a joint committee had agreed on limits to the number of security personnel accompanying delegations, calling such claims “false and baseless.”

“Jubbaland State remains committed to pursuing a lasting solution to the current issues and ensuring the success of the scheduled Consultative Meeting,” the statement said, while questioning the federal government’s reliability and commitment to dialogue.

The latest developments cast serious doubt over the fate of the consultative meeting, which has been widely described as critical to resolving Somalia’s ongoing political crisis. Key issues, including constitutional amendments and the future election framework, remain unresolved. As of the time of writing, the Federal Government of Somalia had not issued an official response.