Puntland and Jubaland aircraft turned away from Mogadishu amid tensions
February 2, 2026
Mogadishu denied landing to aircraft carrying the regional delegations of Somalia’s autonomous regions as they came to take part in a federal summit. The aircraft were forced to return while being critically low on fuel.
Regional Somali delegations denied landing
Yesterday, 1 February, the delegations from two autonomous Somali regions were denied landing at the capital of Mogadishu for talks with the federal government over upcoming elections. The aircraft then had to fly back to the regional airports, even though they were reportedly critically low on fuel.
Arriving at Mogadishu Int.Airport with a heavily armed contingent is risky & inappropriate, especially without any legitimate security justification. The airport hosts embassies & diplomatic missions, and safeguarding these sensitive sites is the sole responsibility of the Govt
— Hon. Ahmed FIQI (@AhmedMoFiqi) February 1, 2026
The security of much of the country is dire, with militant groups like the terrorist organisation Al Shabab controlling much of central and southern Somalia.
The delegations were coming with a strong security detachment, but this seems to have spooked the federal government.
The President of Somalia took to X (formerly Twitter) to post, “Arriving at Mogadishu Int. Airport with a heavily armed contingent is risky & inappropriate, especially without any legitimate security justification.”
He then stated that the airport hosts embassies and diplomatic missions, and it is the role of the federal government to safeguard them. Jubaland says there is no agreement on a cap on how many security personnel regional governments can bring to the capital.
The Somali president added, “There are credible concerns that these weapons may be stockpiled in Mogadishu or deliberately handed over to other actors, posing a serious threat to national security.”
Jubaland accused the federal government of “dragging its feet” on the Mogadishu Consultative Meeting and wants to cancel the summit. Among other things, Somalia is having an election in 2026, and this is a delicate affair.
Routes & aircraft used
The two autonomous regions are Puntland in the north and Jubaland in the south. These have not declared independence from Mogadishu, but the federal government has little control in these places in practice.
The Puntland delegation likely took off from Garowe, the regional capital, while the delegation from Jubaland took off from Kismayo.
The distance from Garowe Airport to Mogadishu Airport is around 490 miles (570 kilometres). The distance from Kismayo to Mogadishu is around 260 miles (420 kilometres).
It is unclear which aircraft were used, although it’s common for these regional governments to charter regional aircraft like Embraer E120s, ATR-72s, and Dash 8s. Sometimes, narrowbody aircraft like the Boeing 737s operated by Daallo Airlines (737 Classics) are used. Jubba Airways operates a Fokker 50.
⚡️ BREAKING — #Somalia’s @Plstatehouse and @JSStatehouse have dispatched heavily armed presidential guards to the capital, #Mogadishu, ahead of the much-anticipated arrival of @PresidentMadobe and President @HESaidADeni to participate in high-stakes political talks with President… pic.twitter.com/OyCiBYImQr
— Arlaadi Media (@ArlaadiMnetwork) February 1, 2026
It’s possible the aircraft used by Jubaland was an Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia, as Arlaadi Media shared an image of Jubaland security forces being transported in an E120, although it’s unclear when the photo was taken.
Embraer EMB-120s have a range of well over 1,000 miles, although it’s uncertain if the Jubaland aircraft was fully fueled when it took off.
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
Regional Somali governments condemn the move
Meanwhile, the Puntland regional government issued a statement condemning Mogadishu for denying permission to land by the “Villa Somalia leadership.” It added that it risked the lives of the regional Puntland security forces and delegation on the flight.
PRESS STATEMENT
— Puntland State House (@Plstatehouse) February 1, 2026
01 February 2026.#Puntland #Somalia pic.twitter.com/cmvJ5VlqYq
Puntland claimed it was part of a pattern of obstructing “the good faith of the scheduled conference in Mogadishu.” Separately, the US has been working with Puntland to strike ISIS militants in the region.
The Jubaland regional government expressed its “profound disappointment.” It added more details of the flight, saying it had departed Sayid Mohamed Abdille Hassan International Airport in Kismaayo and was denied landing on its approach, even though the flight had been communicated to the Civil Aviation Authority in advance.
No verification of whether the aircraft had enough fuel to return to Kismaayo was made.
PRESS RELEASE
— Jubaland State House (@JSStatehouse) February 1, 2026
The Jubaland State Government expresses its profound disappointment and condemnation regarding the irresponsible decision made today, which placed the advance delegation and the President of Jubaland's security detail in direct danger.
This occurred after the… pic.twitter.com/M7JSF2vfPJ
It added that two civilian aircraft carrying passengers were also turned away from Mogadishu’s airspace yesterday, illustrating “risks and chaos resulting from these measures.”
It is also unclear what those two civilian aircraft were. Data from FlightRadar24 shows it received aircraft on the 1st February from 07:00 to 15:40 and then one more flight at 17:00. Flights came from regional designations like Nairobi, Djibouti, and Addis Ababa, as well as the breakaway city of Hargeisa.
Featured Image: Jubba Airways
