Commercial flights to Somalia’s South West state resumed on Tuesday, ending a nearly two-week suspension triggered by a political dispute between regional authorities and the federal government.
Flight operations had been halted since March 18, when tensions escalated over the mandate of South West state president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen and broader disagreements tied to constitutional changes pushed by the federal parliament.
The resumption came a day after federal forces took full control of Baidoa, the administrative capital of the South West state, in a move that marked a turning point in the standoff.
A commercial aircraft carrying presidential guards landed early Tuesday at Baidoa’s Shati Gaduud airport, ahead of the arrival of a high-level delegation led by Somali Parliament Speaker Aadan Madobe. Federal officials are expected to oversee a political transition process following the takeover, which prompted Laftagareen’s resignation.
Local aviation sources said operations restarted quickly after the security situation stabilized.
“Bookings resumed last night, and flights are now operating again,” Adan Maalim Ibrahim, an air travel agent in Baidoa, told Anadolu Agency.
During the suspension, authorities allowed only humanitarian flights operated by the United Nations and African Union, underscoring the severity of the political deadlock and its impact on civilian movement.
The reopening of air traffic signals a tentative return to normalcy, though uncertainty remains over the next phase of governance in the South West state.