Somalia: Jubaland vows to defend itself from FGS onslaught

KISMAYO, Somalia - Security chiefs in Jubaland have continued to mobilise troops in anticipation of the Somali National Army (SNA) raid, just days after the state's regional assembly elected Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe as its president for the third consecutive term.

Mogadishu is against Madobe’s leadership despite the regional leader expressing concerns about possible term extensions against the constitution should the federal government embrace the universal suffrage model of elections.

With the federal government deploying troops to Raskamboni and El-Wak towns, the government of Jubaland has vowed to defend itself from possible attacks from Mogadishu, accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of 'incitement and interference of federal states operations'.

Several commanders believed to be conspiring with Mogadishu are being monitored with some now being linked with ties to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who is working tirelessly to ensure Madobe is forcefully removed from power, multiple sources said.

Thousands of regional troops are already in the affected areas where they are keen to defend locals from possible attacks from the federal troops who were ferried to the state a week ago. Madobe blamed Hassan Sheikh of 'dictatorial tendencies'.

Some of the towns where troops have been deployed include Jana Abdalle, Kismayo, and Bulo Haji to the strategic town of Kudha, where he intends to consolidate forces ahead of an impending offensive against Somali government troops in Raskamboni.

But Somalia’s Defence Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur insisted that Jubaland should take responsibility for any clashes in Lower Jubba, arguing that the primary intention of the soldiers' deployment was to take over bases vacated by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops.

According to him, the troops were stationed in Lower Jubba to assist regional forces in countering the Shabaab resurgence, but Jubaland has raised a red flag, arguing that all indicators of possible interference cannot be overlooked.

"These troops are fulfilling their constitutional duty to protect Somalia from terrorism," Nur stated. "Attempts to misrepresent their mission as an assault on Jubbaland are baseless and counterproductive. Any group that confronts them with hostility will bear the consequences."

"This narrative undermines our shared fight against Al-Shabaab, a group that has terrorized our nation for too long," Nur added, pointing to recent successes in Bulo Haaji, where federal forces inflicted heavy losses on the militant group.

Hassan Sheikh was accused of collaborating with some state leaders to promote the one-person, one-vote electoral model, but Jubaland and Puntland insist that enough consultations were not conducted before decisions were ratified in the Somalia parliament.

GAROWE ONLINE