Airlines operating from Ugaas Khalif Airport in Beledweyne have been warned against taking instructions from local authorities in Hiiraan, as a growing political dispute with the Hirshabelle administration spills into commercial aviation.
Hirshabelle’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has ordered airline companies and other transport operators in the region to disregard directives that do not originate from the state ministry, warning that those who defy its instructions could face legal action.
The directive, announced on Monday by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Farah Mohamed Osman, also cautioned commercial airlines against becoming involved in the political disagreements unfolding in Hiiraan, insisting that their operations should remain strictly commercial.
In its statement, the ministry made clear that airlines using the airport were expected to recognise its authority when dealing with transport and aviation matters.
“Transport operators in the Hiiraan region and airline companies operating at Ugaas Khalif Airport are officially warned not to follow any directives that do not originate from the Hirshabelle Ministry of Transport and Aviation,” the ministry said.
The warning comes after Hiiraan Governor Mohamed Hussein Mohamed rejected his dismissal by the Hirshabelle administration and issued instructions of his own to airlines operating in Beledweyne.
In a statement released days earlier, the governor directed airlines not to transport individuals affiliated with the Hirshabelle administration, placing aviation companies at the centre of the dispute over who exercises authority in the region.
The latest directive from Hirshabelle effectively challenges the governor’s attempt to influence airline operations, creating competing instructions for companies using the same airport.
The disagreement has also spread beyond aviation, with customs operations becoming another point of contention between the rival authorities.
Mohamed Arab recently announced the closure of a customs checkpoint in Matabaan, where taxes had previously been collected, and said operations had been transferred to a newly established checkpoint in El-Gal.
The developments highlight how the dispute over administrative authority in Hiiraan is increasingly affecting public administration and commercial activities, with airlines now facing warnings from the state government over whose instructions they should follow.