The Claim

The Puntland Government and the Jubaland Administration issued separate press statements accusing the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) of deliberately placing their officials and presidential security details at risk while traveling to Mogadishu ahead of a planned political conference.

Jubaland further alleged that a plane carrying its advance delegation was denied permission to land at Aden Adde International Airport and forced to return to Kismayo, allegedly without assurance of sufficient fuel. It also claimed that two civilian aircraft carrying civilians were denied landing clearance.

These statements were widely circulated and framed as hostile actions intended to undermine participation in the conference.

Background and Context

A conference between the Federal Government of Somalia and political leaders grouped under Somalia’s Future Forum was scheduled to take place in Mogadishu. Leaders from Puntland and Jubbaland were expected to attend.

Ahead of the meeting, verbal security arrangements were agreed between the Federal Government and participating administrations. Under these arrangements, each leader was to arrive in Mogadishu accompanied by no more than 40 security personnel, armed only with light weapons, to ensure safety and stability in the capital.

What We Found

There is no publicly available evidence supporting the claims that the Federal Government endangered officials or arbitrarily denied aircraft permission to land.

According to confirmations from the Ministry of Internal Security, Puntland and Jubbaland breached the verbally agreed security arrangements by transporting a combined total of 172 armed personnel, far exceeding the agreed limit. Some of the personnel were reportedly equipped with heavy weapons, in direct violation of the understanding governing participation in the conference.

The Ministry stated that the measures taken by federal authorities were security-based enforcement actions, not hostile or politically motivated decisions. It also noted that Mogadishu has seen notable security improvements due to sustained federal reforms, making strict adherence to agreed protocols essential.

No evidence has been presented to substantiate claims that:

• Federal authorities deliberately endangered officials or security personnel, or

• Civilian aircraft were unlawfully or arbitrarily denied landing clearance.

The allegations remain unsupported by documents, flight records, aviation notices, or independent verification.

Conclusion

The claims made by the Puntland and Jubaland administrations are unsupported by evidence. Available information indicates that federal authorities acted in response to violations of verbally agreed security arrangements, rather than engaging in actions that endangered lives or unlawfully interfered with aviation operations.

Verdict: No Evidence