Thursday July 16, 2020
FILE - Hiiraan Governor, Ali Jeyte Osman (Red checkered shirt)
Beled Weyne (HOL) - The governor of Hiiraan region Ali Jeyte Osman said that Djiboutian troops under AMISOM denied him entry at Beledweyne airport today, as he was trying to welcome a fact-finding delegation to investigate the cause of an airplane crash.
Ali Jeyte Osman, in an exclusive telephone interview with HOL, added that he had referred the matter to the Hirshabelle administration and senior officials of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
"We planned to welcome the delegation led by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Abdullahi Salad, and the Director of Civil Aviation, Ahmed Moalim. The two came to Beledweyne to investigate the cause of yesterday's plane crash," Governor Ali Jeyte told Hiiraan Online.
"It was unfortunate that myself and other officials who were with me including my security detail were not allowed to enter the airport," Jeyte said.
Although officials from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation had earlier said they would meet with officials from the Hiiraan regional administration, it was not immediately clear what prevented the governor from entering the airport.
There is no word yet from AMISOM forces regarding the incident.
Hiiraan Online attempted to contact the Djibouti military but was unable to reach them.
The plane that crashed at Beledweyne airport is a Kenyan cargo plane. There were conflicting reports about her cargo.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-8-400, turboprop plane operated by Bluebird Aviation crashed during landing on Tuesday with three occupants. The two pilots and one ground engineer survived the accident.
Bluebird's General Manager Captain Hussein Mohamed said a donkey crossed the runway, the plane hit the donkey and swerved off to a trench on the side of the runway.