Gedo Governor Warns Against Unilateral Elections Amid FGS-Jubaland Standoff

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Abdullahi Shimbir, the governor of Somalia’s Gedo region, has cautioned against any election process carried out without legal grounding and wider consultation, saying local authorities have been left out of current voting plans.

After talks in Mogadishu with federal government officials, Shimbir said the discussions centered on introducing a “one-person, one-vote” system. He said, however, that the political dispute between the Federal Government of Somalia and Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe continues to hang over Gedo.

“We will not accept an election that the people of this region are unaware of and that we were not consulted on,” Shimbir said.

His comments come at a delicate moment, as the federal government — which previously took administrative control of Gedo from Jubbaland — presses ahead with plans for direct universal suffrage. Shimbir said that, despite earlier tensions, his administration remains part of Jubbaland State and has already settled its internal disputes with the regional authorities in Kismayo.

He stressed that there is no active confrontation between his administration and the federal government, but warned that pushing ahead with elections without political agreement could reopen the door to instability and security concerns.

“Efforts are currently underway to resolve the dispute between the Federal Government and Jubbaland,” Shimbir added, saying Jubbaland leaders remain willing to talk and reach a political settlement.

Gedo’s political status has for years been one of the most disputed issues in Somali politics, frequently emerging as a major point of friction between federal leaders and regional administrations over how national elections should be managed.

AXADLETM