letter From Galmudug ,Conflict on Galkayo Airport ,Somalia
The President of Galmudug State of Somalia Abdi Hassan Awaale (Qeybdid) wrote a complaint letter to The President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Federal Government of Somalia as well as to the Heads of UNSOM, IGAD, EU, AU and AMISOM Mission. The subject of the letter was Provocations and illegal embargo carried out Puntland State.
The President of Galmudug used a charter plane to go back to Galmudug, however, Puntland Authorities refused permission for the flight to land in South of Galkayo airstrip and instead the flight was ordered either to land in the main ariport in Galkayo which is under the management of Puntland Authority or otherwise to face heavy fines.
The letter said “To the revered dignitaries’ in which this letter is addressed to we would like to inform the potential threat of habitual provocations and unjustified sanctions carried out by Puntland State on Galmudug State.”
Galmudug claims that the airport of Galkayo is a national asset, but Puntland unilaterally benefits from the service income generated by the airport facility. In 1993 former Puntland President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and General Mohamed Farah Eideed signed an agreement that Puntland Authority manages the airport, in order to bring peace to the much volatile region and city of Galkayo.
In the letter Galmudug President says there has been on numerous occasions that Galmudug raised its concerns of the management of the national airport with the different Puntland authorities since the establishment of Puntland, and says this was an attempt to find a solution to create a joint management of a single entity. The President of Galmudug continued to say “Problems such as detaining and blocking both International and humanitarian delegations were common and frustrating.”
The Galmudug Authority then constructed a new airport (airstrip) 10km to the South of Galkayo, which was officially opened on 22 November 2013 and was first used by a charter plane carrying the President of Galmudug. The airline that landed in the airstrip was fined 10,000 US dollors and prohibited from engaging any business with Puntland State inclding the use of Galkayo airport.
According to this letter, on 17 April 2014 both Presdients of Galmudug and Puntland met and discussed the issues, it was agreed to form a joint committee and to meet again on 24 April 2014 to find a solution to the problem. However, the President of Galmudug says Puntland Authority cancelled the scheduled meeting without any advance notification.
On 18 September 2014 the President of Galmudug and his delegation who was in Mogadishu as part of the formation of a Federal Unit, Central State of Somalia, decided to go back to Galkayo, however, Puntland Authority sanctioned the charter flight and denied permission to land in South Galkayo airstrip. On 19 September the President of Galmudug spoke to the President of Puntland and his deputy over the telephone, and the Deputy President promised to issue a letter lifting the sanctions. However, according to the letter Puntland Authority retracted its promises and stated that it will firmly uphold its sanctions.
The President of Galmudug gave an ultimatum to the President of Somalia and the International Community to find a solution by the 24 September 2014 otherwise the letter says “We will hold President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali “Gaas” responsible for any negative impact that may emerge from his ill conceived actions.”
The letter also said “that the actions of PUntland State amounts nothing more than provoation, and has the potential of triggering unnecesssary conflict within the region of Mudug which could subsequently damage the existing stability among the inhabitants and derail the formation of the Central State.”
No comments so far from Puntland Authority as the letter was not even addressed to them. It is clear that this letter is a very serious matter that need an urgent attention and solution to the issue. However, it is not clear if the issues raised by Galmudug can be solved to their deadline of 24th September 2014.
