President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has dismissed allegations that his administration plans to destabilize Jubbaland following the recent deployment of federal troops to the Lower Jubba region.
In a statement made after Friday prayers in Mogadishu, President Mohamud reiterated that the federal government’s primary objective is to fight al-Shabab and not to interfere in Jubbaland’s internal governance.
“The federal government has no intention of dismantling Jubbaland,” President Mohamud asserted. “Our mission is to liberate Jubbaland from al-Shabab. Ahmed Madobe has led the region for nearly 14 years, yet no district has been freed under his leadership.”
President Mohamud criticized Jubbaland’s president, Ahmed Madobe, for allegedly stockpiling weapons and international aid intended for anti-al-Shabab operations instead of using them to secure the region.
He also rejected claims that the federal government’s actions in Jubbaland were driven by tribal interests, stressing that the focus remains on national security and the fight against terrorism.
The recent deployment of over 1,000 federal troops to Lower Jubba is part of a broader effort to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), whose mandate will conclude by January 2025.
However, this move has intensified tensions between Mogadishu and Jubbaland’s leadership.
Ahmed Madobe, who has been critical of the federal government’s push for a “one person, one vote” election in 2026, has faced backlash for his reelection through an indirect electoral system—an approach that the federal government has rejected.
The ongoing power struggle reflects deepening divisions between Somalia’s central government and regional administrations, with national security remaining a key point of contention.
