# Puntland responds on Galkayo Airport as dispute escalates

> Goobjoog News reported Puntland's September 27, 2014 press release on Abdi Qaybdiid and Galkayo Airport. What it does not establish since.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 1 October 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: construction-risk, procurement
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/puntland-responds-galkayo-airport-dispute

## Key points

- On 2014-09-27 Goobjoog News reported a Puntland Council of Ministers press release responding to statements by Abdi Qaybdiid about Galkayo airport.
- The council claimed Qaybdiid was never denied airport access and threatened to block the airport by force, calling for international investigation.
- The report does not establish what happened after the press release, and Abdi Qaybdiid and the Federal Government did not comment in the source.

On 27 September 2014, Goobjoog News published a press release by the Puntland Council of Ministers addressing statements by Abdi Qaybdiid concerning Galkayo airport. The council said it met extraordinarily on Friday, 26 September 2014, at the State House in Garowe, after Qaybdiid's remarks about alleged denial of access to the airport, denial or stoppage of airport construction, and a threat to block the use of Galkayo airport by force. The council said those threats were released from Mogadishu and Adado through local and international media.

The council stated that Qaybdiid was never denied access to land at or departure from Galkayo airport, nor denied construction of an airport. It said Galkayo airport is an international airport open to all, and that Qaybdiid's access has long remained unchanged and unhindered.

The council assigned responsibility for technical approval of airport standards including distance, location, and construction to international governing bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It said blame cannot be assigned to Puntland for failure to meet technical standards of makeshift runways, as Qaybdiid has.

The council pointed out that Qaybdiid made his statements from Mogadishu, the capital and seat of the Federal Government of Somalia. It claimed the Federal Government did not respond to Qaybdiid's provocation and call for hostilities. The Federal Government did not comment in the Goobjoog News report.

The council said Qaybdiid's confrontational approach had created tension and signs of instability among inhabitants of Mudug region. It called upon the international community to hold Qaybdiid responsible for any eventual outbreak of hostilities and to investigate the likely violent repercussions of repeated threats of forceful closure of Galkayo airport.

The council said Galkayo airport has been a safe conduit of transportation for all Somalis and international partners for over twenty years, and that Puntland reserves the right to defend its territorial integrity and lifeline institutions.

The Goobjoog News report does not include any response from Abdi Qaybdiid or independent verification of the alleged threats. It also does not state what happened after the press release. Subsequent developments concerning Galkayo airport are not covered in this source.

## Questions

### What are the points of contention over the airport?

Abdi Qaybdiid allegedly claimed denial of access to Galkayo airport, denial or stoppage of airport construction, and threatened to block use of the airport by force. Puntland's council denied these claims.

### What construction activities are at issue?

The council said Qaybdiid was not denied construction of an airport. It also referred to makeshift runways that failed to meet technical standards, without specifying locations or builders.

### How does this affect airport operations and planned upgrades?

The report does not provide information on actual operations or planned upgrades. It only records Puntland's claims about access and safety, and its call for international investigation.

## Sources

- [Somalia: The Government of Puntland Press Release Abdi Qaybdiid and Galkayo Airport](https://en.goobjoog.com/somalia-the-government-of-puntland-press-release-abdi-qaybdiid-and-galkayo-airport/) — Goobjoog News, 2014-09-27