Jubaland suspends flights, communication in Raskamboni under SNA control

KISMAYO, Somalia - Authorities in Jubaland suspended flights to Raskamboni, a strategic border town between Kenya and Somalia, amid reports of troops buildups in the region, following hostilities from Mogadishu.

Mogadishu has contested the recently concluded elections in Jubaland, insisting that the federal state violated the spirit of constitutionalism, including the disputed direct elections where the Jubaland and Puntland leaders have not consented.

Abdullahi Dubad Shill, Jubaland's state minister for Transport and Aviation, said all airlines operating in Somalia are banned from flying over Raskamboni in Lower Jubba, citing the ongoing political tensions between Mogadishu and Kismayo.

"The Jubbaland State Government warns all airlines operating in Somalia not to land at the Raskamboni airport. A dangerous conflict situation in that area could pose a major security threat," read a statement from the minister's office.

Any airline that violates the warning, he said, would bear full responsibility for any eventuality. Raskamboni has transitioned to the center of the conflict as the federal government deployed troops to the town in anticipation of clashes with Jubaland security teams.

But authorities in Mogadishu insist that the mobilization of the troops is meant to take over bases vacated by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a claim which Jubaland dismissed as 'insincere and dishonest'.

The defense minister criticized Jubbaland officials claiming that they were politicizing the federal presence, warning that such actions jeopardize the national effort against Al-Shabaab.

"This narrative undermines our shared fight against Al-Shabaab, a group that has terrorized our nation for too long," Nur added, pointing to recent successes in Bulo Haaji, where federal forces inflicted heavy losses on the militant group.

Besides the flight suspension, Jubaland also cut communication networks in Raskamboni, a move meant to handle the situation by minimizing contacts between the federal troops who are suspected to be planning an onslaught against Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe’s administration.

GAROWE ONLINE