Doolow (WDN) — After keeping Doolow Airport in Gedo closed for nearly two years, the Federal Government of Somalia has reopened the facility, restoring a vital air link for communities that have endured severe restrictions on movement amid the political confrontation between Mogadishu and the Jubaland administration.

The reopening has been welcomed by residents, but it also casts a harsh light on the human cost of what critics describe as the federal government’s use of civil aviation as a political instrument.

For two years, residents of Doolow and surrounding communities were effectively cut off from a crucial transportation corridor. The consequences went far beyond inconvenience. The closure severely restricted access to emergency medical care, forcing sick patients and families to undertake long and difficult journeys by road to reach hospitals and specialized medical facilities, particularly in Mogadishu.

For mothers traveling with infants, elderly people and critically ill patients, the consequences could be devastating. Residents and local sources have reported cases in which patients struggled for days to reach medical centers, while others allegedly died before receiving adequate treatment.

The closure also disrupted trade and the movement of goods. Air transport had provided a faster and more reliable means of bringing commercial supplies into the region, while the alternative of transporting goods by road was slower, more expensive and vulnerable to insecurity and poor infrastructure.

The timing and circumstances of the reopening have therefore prompted renewed questions about why a civilian airport serving an entire population was allowed to remain closed for so long.

The dispute between Mogadishu and Jubaland has been deeply political, but critics argue that civilian populations should never become collateral damage in a confrontation between governments and political leaders. Restricting access to air transport can have consequences for fundamental rights, particularly the right to access essential healthcare and maintain basic economic and social connections.

The reopening of Doolow Airport is undoubtedly good news for residents. Yet it also serves as a reminder of the price ordinary Somalis can pay when political disagreements are allowed to dictate essential public services.

For the people of Gedo, the return of aircraft is more than the reopening of an airport. It is the restoration of a lifeline that should never have been severed in the first place.

WardheerNews