MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s government on Friday barred opposition leaders from entering Aden Adde International Airport, a heavily fortified zone that includes the Halane camp, home to foreign diplomatic missions and currently hosting the leaders of Jubaland and Puntland.
The move came a day after authorities prevented former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed from accessing the airport to meet Jubaland and Puntland leaders. Together, they form the Somali Future Council, an opposition alliance resisting government plans for unilateral constitutional amendments and proposed electoral arrangements.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre subsequently visited Sharif at his residence on Thursday night to apologise for the incident and assured him that such measures would not be repeated.
Despite that assurance, security forces again blocked opposition figures from entering the airport on Friday, where a council meeting had been scheduled. The restrictions delayed, once more, a highly anticipated gathering of the Somali Future Council.
Opposition officials said the measures were deliberate and intended to obstruct their consultations rather than the result of procedural lapses.
The government, however, said the opposition leaders had failed to comply with airport security protocols. Officials cited the presence of heavily armed escorts and other breaches.
Late on Friday night, the standoff appeared to ease. Universal TV reported that a resolution was reached following a meeting between Sharif and intelligence chief Mahad Salad. The two sides agreed on revised security arrangements that would allow opposition leaders to enter the airport.
The agreement paved the way for the council’s leaders to access the area, potentially clearing an immediate obstacle in the intensifying dispute over Somalia’s political roadmap.
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