Inside Farmajo's phone call to Uhuru over Gedo skirmishes

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Few hours after Kenya expressed concerns about Somalia's "provocation" to KDF troops in Mandera, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has placed a phone call to his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta, Villa Somalia said.

The two countries are embroiled in a would-be diplomatic fallout following Somalia's military activities along Balad-Hawo, a border town in northeastern Kenya, which escalated on Monday.

In a series of complaints through ambassador Dahir Osman, Somalia had accused Kenya of "interfering" with its domestic affairs, threatening to take actions at the UNSC.

But at Nairobi, a furious Uhuru fired back on Wednesday, after holding a day-long crisis meeting with National Security Council [NSC], where a recent crisis in the Gedo region featured.

After the NSC meeting, Uhuru blamed SNA of "flagrant breach and total disregard of international laws" besides accusing the troops of "harassing and destroying" properties of Kenyan citizens in Mandera.

NSC comprises of the President, his deputy, Defense, Foreign Affairs and Interior ministers, Chief of Defense Forces, Director of the National Intelligence Service and Inspector General of Police.

SNA raids, Uhuru said, "amounts to an unwarranted attack by foreign soldiers with the intention of provoking Kenya". KDF troops, he added, "acted in restraint because Kenya cherishes peace".

Shortly after Uhuru's concern, Farmajo placed a phone call, where they discussed the current impasse among other diplomatic matters, Villa Somalia said in a tweet.

The two discussed "ways to jointly work on border security and send committees from both nations to hold talks on strengthening diplomatic relations" including trade ties.

Farmajo and Uhuru, Villa Somalia added, "acknowledged that border security is shared responsibility which revolved around mutual interest" for the benefit of both countries.

Somali National Army [SNA] troops raided the border town and engaged in a fierce gunfight with Jubaland forces, leading to deaths and displacement of thousands of people.

Throughout the clashes, KDF kept vigilant within the affected region, monitoring possible spillover to Kenya, which could have been treated as "trespass", officials said.

Although FGS said the assault "targeted" Al-Shabaab, they were however in pursuit of Abdirashid Janan, a Jubaland minister accused of "serious crimes" and who is believed to be hosted in Mandera.

To affirm stability in the affected region, the two leaders emphasized that the "security of the two countries is interconnected and consultations should be held in case of misunderstandings".

Jubaland officials accused Farmajo of plotting to establish a parallel administration in Gedo to "overthrow Ahmed Madobe" ahead of December polls.

Kenya works closely with Jubaland in the fight against Al-Shabaab, a reason which explains its active engagement in the region to the disgruntlement of FGS bureaucrats.

On Wednesday, Uhuru called for dialogue between FGS and federal states, accusing Mogadishu of engaging in blame games for ", transient political gains", using Kenya as "scapegoat".

The FGS and federal states, conflict, Uhuru had said, paves way for "resurgence" of Al-Shabaab militants, who had been effectively degraded by allied forces.

Besides the Jubaland squabbles, Kenya and Somalia are also involved in the Indian Ocean maritime border dispute, which is currently under the International Court of Justice at the Hague.

The matter had also significantly affected diplomatic ties between the two countries, leading to the temporary withdrawal of their respective envoys last year before their reinstatement.

GAROWE ONLINE