Somalia PM Roble heads to Garbaharey as part of his Jubaland tour

MOGADISHU, Somalia -  Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble will today lead a delegation from the federal government in Garbaharey in Jubaland, in one of the strategies to plan for upcoming elections, which are instrumental in Somalia's future, which has been hanging in balance.

For the last two days, Roble has been holed up in Jubaland, where he held meetings with key officials among them regional President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe, who has been at loggerheads with Somalia's national administration.

On Thursday, the team held a major meeting with Madobe and his ministers, where among others, they discussed matters to do with Jubaland's development. The federal government has been having serious reservations with the Jubaland state.

But Roble, who is out to mediate the elections crisis in Garbaharey, is said to be planning a trip to the region which is found within Gedo without full consent of disgruntled Jubaland authorities. The PM will arrive in the region today [Saturday].

According to reports, Roble had not fully agreed with the Jubaland authorities on the management of elections in Garbaharey, which has been the source of disconnect between Kismayo and Mogadishu, and his trip might evoke serious differences ahead of elections.

Already, outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who has been at loggerheads with Kismayo, dispatched three planes to Garbaharey, carrying local elders from the Gedo region who were lately accommodated by Villa Somalia, which is keen to control the Gedo region.

Contrary to this, on Friday, some anti-Farmajo candidates vying for the Garbaharey DC seat have rejected a pass at Mogadishu airport by NISA agents believed to be under the authority of Abdullahi Kulani, Deputy Director NISA, sources said.

Although it's not clear how elections will be held in the region, a number of local officials had accused Farmajo of plotting to rig polls in Gedo at the detriment of his opposition competitors as he strives to get hold of Jubaland, which has been a key opposition stronghold.

Somalia is set to go for elections from this July, and will later on hold presidential polls on October 10. Farmajo, whose term expired on February 8, is keen to defend his seat amid simmering political tensions in the country.

GAROWE ONLINE