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Jubbaland authorities have publicly accused the Somali federal government of maintaining a prolonged, politically motivated shutdown of Doolow airport, warning that the ongoing blockade is severely damaging trade, public transport, and essential medical care. According to an official press release issued on Wednesday by the regional Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, the critical aviation hub has remained entirely closed to standard commercial and transport flights since July 19, 2025. Regional administrative leaders have expressed deep frustration over the persistent gridlock, stating that the local economy and basic social safety nets are collapsing due to the lack of aerial connectivity. The unfolding logistics crisis has added immense pressure to the Gedo region political tensions, as the central government and regional leaders continue to clash over territorial governance and local authority.
The specific structural impacts highlighted by regional representatives point to a rapidly worsening crisis within local infrastructure and regional humanitarian operations. State officials assert that because Doolow serves as a major logistical headquarters for international non-governmental organizations, the strict landing bans have crippled the distribution of vital aid, leaving thousands of displaced families without reliable access to food, water, and shelter. Furthermore, Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe highlighted that the flight restrictions are actively endangering vulnerable populations, noting that pregnant women and sick children who require urgent medical evacuations to larger metropolitan hospitals can no longer be flown out safely. Regional planners noted that when they approached the Somali Civil Aviation Authority to negotiate a functional solution, federal aviation officers explicitly stated they lacked the independent administrative power to authorize a reopening without direct executive orders from Mogadishu.
The central airspace administration dispute has drawn sharp, conflicting narratives from both sides of the political spectrum. In response to the intensifying public pushback, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre previously issued a public denial of federal responsibility, explicitly blaming the prolonged Doolow airport closure on the internal mismanagement of the Jubbaland state administration. Barre publicly insisted that any resulting humanitarian or economic consequences should be addressed directly to President Madobe rather than the central government. Conversely, Jubbaland leadership strongly rejected this defense, accusing federal ministries of intentionally weaponizing national airspace to settle political scores in direct violation of international civil aviation guidelines. As grassroots organizations and local merchants continue to sound the alarm over soaring commodity prices caused by disrupted border trade routes near Ethiopia and Kenya, the immediate future of the strategic facility remains entirely frozen amidst the widening institutional standoff.