File Photo/Somali Times
The Somali government’s Ministry of Security has issued an order against opposition candidates and former leaders of the country following the ban on carrying weapons inside the airport.
The ministry said in a statement that no weapons could be allowed inside the Mogadishu airport. A brief statement from the ministry said the decision would not affect the country’s top leaders, including the president and prime minister. The decision appears to be against opposition candidates who fly out of the airport with armed guards, who play a key role in providing security, and come at a time when election disputes are still raging.
The ministry has never publicly banned weapons from entering the airport, and the decision has not stopped armed security guards from entering the airport.
Candidates for the presidency and former officials were greeted by their own troops as they left the Mogadishu airport, but from today it will not be possible due to an order issued by the Ministry of Security. Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport is one of the busiest in the country, with security being maintained by a joint force of government and Amisom forces.
The decision could exacerbate tensions between the strong government and opposition, to go through a complicated situation, and the result of the election process in the country.