Beledweyne Airport Shutdown: Dispute over tax revenue paralyze vital lifeline

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Beledweyne Airport Shutdown: Dispute over tax revenue paralyze vital lifeline

BELEDWEYNE (HORN OBSERVER) – A deepening divide and the dysfunction of federal governance have brought Beledweyne city and its surrounding areas in the Hiiraan region to a standstill for the second consecutive day, with all flight services at t

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An aircraft is seen at Beledweyne airport. | Photo/ File.

BELEDWEYNE (HORN OBSERVER) – A deepening divide and the dysfunction of federal governance have brought Beledweyne city and its surrounding areas in the Hiiraan region to a standstill for the second consecutive day, with all flight services at the Ugaas Khalif airport suspended.

As of Saturday, no aircraft have either landed or taken off, except for those facilitating logistics for the African Union Mission (ATMIS) stationed in Beledweyne.

The suspension has significantly impacted the residents of Beledweyne and nearby towns who rely on the local flights as their primary and safe means of travel, particularly due to the ongoing conflict in the region, rendering road travel extremely perilous.

The closure of the Ugaas Khalifa airport is rooted in a dispute between officials of Hirshabelle State over the distribution of tax revenue generated from the airport.

A representative of local airlines, speaking to our reporter, revealed that they were told to suspend their flights after the dispute emerged.

A security official also said the airport’s closure stemmed from a disagreement between Hirshabelle Vice President Yusuf Ahmed Hagar Dabageed and Hirshabelle Minister of Transport and Aviation Musa Salad regarding the division of tax fees collected from landing aircrafts.

This isn’t the first time that the Beledweyne airport has faced closure due to disputes over revenue allocation, and regrettably, such disputes primarily affect the local population in Beledweyne.

A similar dispute in June of this year led to the removal of Governor Ali Jeyte, who refused to surrender tax revenue collected from Beledweyne city to Hirshabelle’s Minister of Finance under President Ali Abdullahi Gudlawe.

Jeyte staunchly maintained that he would not entrust his city’s revenue to what he described as "corrupt” individuals in Jowhar.

Consequently, he was dismissed from his role as the Governor of Hiiraan.

But Jeyte subsequently declared himself as the president of Hiiraan State, establishing a rival regional entity with Beledweyne as its capital.

Beledweyne now finds itself hosting two competing administrations, both claiming allegiance to the federal government.

The airport’s closure occurs amidst a renewed military campaign against Al-Shabaab, with Ali Jeyte once again taking the lead with his clan militia. Daily flights connecting Beledweyne to Mogadishu, which include essential supplies like food, medicine, and commercial goods vital to the local community, have been disrupted, compounding the challenges faced by the people of Beledweyne and the surrounding towns.

Despite the airport’s closure affecting the wellbeing of the local population, there has been no official communication from the authorities of Hiiraan State and Hirshabelle regarding the ongoing situation.