Flights to Resume at Doolow as Federal Government and Jubbaland Spar Over Control

DOOLOW — Somalia’s federal government has reportedly agreed to reopen Doolow airport in the Gedo region, with flights expected to resume on Saturday, August 29, according to information provided for this report. The move would restore an important transport link for residents affected by restrictions amid the federal government’s dispute with Jubbaland.

Jubbaland has previously declared itself an independent government and withdrawn from the country’s federal structure, marking a significant escalation in the political divide between regional authorities and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration in Mogadishu. The declaration was announced during a ceremony in Kismayo, where Jubbaland’s parliament speaker stated that lawmakers had amended the regional constitution to redefine Jubaland not as a federal member state but as an independent government.

The account says Doolow’s administration resisted pressure to bypass Jubbaland authorities and establish direct administrative relations with Mogadishu. It links the aviation restrictions to the wider struggle over political authority in the district. An official reopening notice and airline schedules were not available in the material reviewed. The conditions attached to the reported decision, including any security or administrative agreement, remain unclear.

Earlier Closures and Reopening

Published reporting indicates that Doolow’s flight restrictions have involved separate episodes rather than a verified, uninterrupted two-year closure. In May 2025, the federal Ministry of Internal Security announced that flights could resume following a security review and assurances from local authorities. The airport had been closed since December 2024 after an aircraft allegedly diverted to Doolow without authorisation, according to the government’s account.

Federal authorities presented that reopening as conditional on airport safety and compliance with national aviation regulations. Jubbaland, however, had accused Mogadishu of using flight restrictions to exert political pressure. In June 2026, Jubbaland’s transport ministry said the airport had again been closed since July 19, 2025. It warned that the restrictions were affecting humanitarian assistance, trade and healthcare. That chronology places the latest reported reopening against more than a year of renewed disruption.

A federal air blockade on the town has been in effect for nearly a year and a half and remains enforced. Jubbaland State has accused the Federal Government of deliberately grounding passenger flights to key towns in the Gedo region, describing it as a calculated blockade that has inflicted deep harm on the region’s economy and essential services.

Background to the Federal–Jubbaland Conflict

Disputes between Mogadishu and Jubbaland have repeatedly escalated into armed confrontation, particularly over control of Gedo and the conduct of regional elections. Tensions spiked in Doolow in July 2025 after federal government troops were reportedly ambushed by forces loyal to the Jubbaland administration. The deadly confrontation unfolded as federal troops resisted disarmament efforts, prompting a fierce exchange of gunfire that has shaken the fragile security environment in the area.

Relations deteriorated after Ahmed Mohamed Islam, known as Ahmed Madobe, secured another term as Jubbaland president in November 2024. Madobe has publicly declared that he no longer recognizes the Somali federal government, accusing it of centralizing power, politicizing humanitarian aid, and exacerbating economic and political instability.

The Governor of Gedo region, Abdullahi Shimbir, has warned that any election held in the area must adhere to legal frameworks and include broad consultation, stating that regional authorities have been excluded from electoral planning. “We will not accept an election that our people are unaware of and where we were not consulted,” Shimbir declared.

The Jubbaland administration has issued a sharp rebuke against Somalia’s federal government, accusing it of “illegal interference” in the region’s internal affairs and warning that federal maneuvers in the contested Gedo province could trigger renewed instability. “Attempts to undermine our constitutional mandate through force, manipulation or externally driven schemes will only inflame tensions and risk plunging the region back into conflict,” the Jubbaland leadership said.

The federal government has deployed Turkish-trained commandos to the Gedo region, while the border town of Doolow has witnessed violent confrontations between federal and Jubaland forces in the past, including clashes that resulted in casualties. Federal forces have captured several towns in Gedo, including Balad Hawo and the regional administrative center of Garbaharey.

Jubbaland has condemned the federal government’s decision to airlift troops to Garbaharey, a town Mogadishu aims to designate as the state headquarters instead of Kismayo, the interim capital. The regional administration called the deployment provocative, particularly as Jubbaland pursues operations to free towns from Al-Shabaab control.

The federal government has rescinded a standing arrest warrant against Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe, clearing a major legal obstacle ahead of high-level talks between the administration and the opposition coalition. The Banadir Regional Court confirmed the cancellation of the warrant, which had been issued in November 2024 following Madobe’s re-election.

For residents, a sustained resumption of flights could ease travel for medical treatment, business and family visits. Jubbaland’s recent complaints about disrupted services underline the civilian consequences of aviation restrictions, although the scale of those effects has not been independently established.

Critical Note

The reported reopening of Doolow airport represents a potential easing of tensions between the federal government and Jubbaland, but the underlying political dispute remains unresolved. The airport has become a bargaining chip in the broader struggle for political authority in the Gedo region, with residents bearing the consequences of the restrictions.

The history of closures and conditional reopenings suggests that the resumption of flights may be temporary unless the federal government and Jubbaland can reach a lasting agreement on the administration of the airport and the broader political issues that have fueled the conflict. The federal government’s air blockade on Doolow, which has been in effect for nearly a year and a half, has inflicted deep harm on the region’s economy and essential services.

The international community should encourage both sides to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than through the use of pressure tactics that harm civilians. Jubbaland’s declaration of independence from the federal system and its calls for direct international engagement underscore the need for urgent mediation to prevent further destabilization.

For the residents of Doolow and the wider Gedo region, the reopening of the airport is a welcome development, but it is not a substitute for a durable political settlement. Without a comprehensive agreement that addresses the underlying grievances between Mogadishu and Kismayo, the cycle of closures and reopenings is likely to continue, leaving residents in a state of uncertainty.