MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s federal government has launched a concerted campaign to seize control of Jubaland from Ahmed Madobe, following his controversial third-term re-election, which Mogadishu has condemned as unconstitutional, all while seeking to avoid an outright military confrontation.
On Tuesday, the government deployed seven planeloads of troops, including Turkish-trained special police and military units, known as Haram’ad and Gorgor, to the town of Raskamboni, with additional flights carrying personnel and weaponry having arrived on Monday, according to Caasimada Online news website.
Speaking in Raskamboni, Commander Hassan Iraqi of the Somali Army’s 18th Division stated that the ongoing military maneuvers are focused on seizing forward operating bases set to be vacated by Kenyan troops upon the conclusion of their mandate under the ATMIS peacekeeping mission at year’s end.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s federal government is also preparing to deploy additional troops to Gedo region tomorrow, alongside airlifting military vehicles and supplies, with a focus on the towns of Raskamboni and Elwak in Lower Juba and Gedo regions.
Meanwhile, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has commenced negotiations with Jubaland troops in Afmadow to secure their mass defections to the federal government, as part of a strategic plan to bring all towns under Jubaland’s administration into federal control, except for Kismayo, where Ahmed Madobe’s deep-rooted influence presents a significant obstacle to change.
The defection of Jubaland Darwish forces to the federal government facilitated the capture of Raskamboni and the airlifting of troops there, and if defections continue from key garrisons across Jubaland, it will present a significant challenge for regional president Ahmed Madobe to stem the rising threats to his rule or extend his authority beyond his stronghold in Kismayo.
Mogadishu plans to conduct its long-preached one-person, one-vote election across all districts in Jubaland, excluding Kismayo, which it will leave under Ahmed Madobe’s control, unless significant changes occur beforehand.
In response, Jubaland leader Ahmed Madobe has dispatched troops from Bulo Haji and nearby towns to counter the federal government’s military maneuvers in Raskamboni, heightening the risk of a military showdown that could not only undermine Madobe’s rule but also jeopardize the state’s security, especially as large swathes of it, including the entire Middle Juba region, remains under the control of the militant group Al-Shabaab.
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