Ethiopian Troops Hold Soldiers Amid Tensions Between FGS and Jubaland Over Elections

DOLOW, Somalia – In the Gedo region, Ethiopian forces at Dolow airport have reportedly detained six individuals appearing to be soldiers from the Somali National Army (SNA), sources revealed on Tuesday.

Witnesses stated that the arrested individuals arrived from Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, camouflaged in civilian apparel. It’s a head-scratcher at the moment as the precise motive for their detention hasn’t been disclosed.

Speculators believe this aligns with accusations pointing fingers at the Somali government for potentially slowing down the anticipated Kismayo elections in Jubaland’s temporary capital. The event reportedly unfolded at Dolow airport, situated in Jubaland state.

A coincidental turn of events saw Jubaland authoritatively bolstering security measures at Kismayo Airport last week. This was after murmurs that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had plans to deploy special forces to potentially disrupt the election proceedings.

Despite the president’s wish for all federal states to adopt a direct vote electoral style by next year, Jubaland, under the stewardship of Ahmed Madobe, remains steadfast in its decision to carry on with its plans for indirect elections. Madobe argues that doing otherwise might just mess up term limits, making way for unlawful extensions.

Already, the process for selecting lawmakers in Jubaland, who will subsequently vote for the regional president, has set sail. Interestingly, Ethiopia has recently warmed up to Jubaland following several years of what could only be described as a cold war with Mogadishu.

Not long ago, Somalia mentioned that Ethiopian soldiers would vacate by December 2024 after Ethiopia penned a somewhat contentious sea access agreement with North Western State of Somalia earlier in January 2024. Across Somali terrain, over 4,500 Ethiopian troops under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) lend a hand battling Al-Shabaab, while another 1000 troops operate separately from ATMIS.

Somalia has raised eyebrows at the continued deployment of Ethiopian forces in the peacekeeping outfit. Alternatives are being pondered, with Somalia favoring Egypt to lead an upcoming AU stabilization duty, AUSSOM, after a defense pact between Cairo and Mogadishu in August.

AXADLETM