Somalia: Jubaland Denies Claims Its Troops Are Operating Inside Kenya

Mohamud Sayid Aden, Jubaland state vice president - FILE

KISMAYO, Somalia - Jubaland authorities have denied accusations that their forces are present in Border Point One, a village in Kenya’s Mandera County, following recent protests by residents demanding their withdrawal.

Jubaland Vice President Mohamud Sayid Aden told the BBC that their troops are stationed near the Somali-Kenyan border but not within Kenyan territory. He emphasized that the regional administration respects the sovereignty and borders of neighboring Kenya.

The tension follows recent fighting in the Somali border town of Beled-Hawo, which was retaken by the Somali National Army after a week-long military operation. The conflict displaced hundreds of residents, many of whom crossed into Mandera seeking safety and humanitarian assistance.

The security situation along the border remains tense, with growing fears that the standoff could escalate further. Both Somalia’s federal government and the Jubaland administration are under increasing pressure to de-escalate and resolve the dispute peacefully.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest that Ethiopian forces have ordered Abdirashid Janan — the newly appointed intelligence chief for Somalia’s Gedo region — to leave Beled-Hawo and hand the town over to Jubaland forces. Most towns in the region remain under Jubaland control.

The Somali federal government is reportedly pushing to hold disputed elections in Gedo without reaching a consensus with Jubaland authorities. It has deployed troops flown in from Mogadishu, a move critics say has destabilized previously calm areas with functioning local administrations.

GAROWE ONLINE