MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Operations at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport were severely disrupted on Tuesday after staff staged a strike in protest at the dismissal of 15 colleagues by the Turkish firm managing the facility.
Videos circulating on social media showed airport employees, identifiable by their work insignia, gathering outside terminals and halting duties. The industrial action brought both arrivals and departures to a standstill, affecting passengers and flight schedules throughout the day.
The protest followed the reported dismissal of 15 Somali staff members by Favori LLC, the Turkish company operating the airport. Workers said the employees were terminated without prior notice and raised longstanding grievances over delayed salaries and poor working conditions.
It is not the first time Somali employees at the capital’s airport have taken strike action over pay and management disputes with Favori. Previous demonstrations have also disrupted airport operations and drawn attention to persistent tensions between local staff and the foreign operator.
Sources within the airport indicated that the dismissed personnel were replaced with foreign workers. The decision has angered Somali staff, who described the move as unjust and harmful to local employment.
The strike has renewed scrutiny of Turkish-run enterprises in Somalia, including those managing key national infrastructure such as Mogadishu’s port and airport. Complaints of labour abuses and mismanagement have circulated for years, but calls for reform have largely gone unanswered by both Somali authorities and company officials.
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