Somalia’s Jubaland Releases Opposition Candidate After 16 Months to Ease Political Tensions

Jubaland frees opposition Senator Ilyas Bedel Gaboose after 16 months, signaling reconciliation push

KISMAYO, Somalia — The Jubaland administration on Sunday released federal senator and opposition figure Ilyas Bedel Gaboose after nearly 16 months in detention, a move officials cast as an attempt to defuse tensions and promote political reconciliation in the semi-autonomous region.

Gaboose, who had been under house arrest since 2024, was freed in Kismayo. Hours later, Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe convened consultations with the senator and Islamic scholar Sheikh Dahir Ahmed Abdullahi, meetings that centered on reconciliation, unity and the broader interests of the Jubaland population, according to officials.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Madobe said the discussions underscored a shared understanding that peace and unity must take precedence over political disputes. “The common interest, peace and unity of the people of Jubaland are above any political differences,” he said, adding that his administration is prepared to make broad compromises to secure lasting stability. “We are committed to resolving all political differences through peaceful means, while safeguarding the future of the people of Jubaland.”

Gaboose was detained following his opposition to Madobe’s re-election in Kismayo, a dispute that deepened rifts within Jubaland and intensified tensions with Somalia’s federal government. At the time, Gaboose led a faction that challenged the legitimacy of the regional electoral process, amplifying an already fraught relationship between the regional leadership and Mogadishu.

The senator was widely viewed as having enjoyed backing from the federal capital during his bid to challenge Madobe’s leadership. It remains unclear whether those political ties are still intact following his release, or whether his return to public life will recalibrate alliances across Jubaland’s fragmented political landscape.

Gaboose’s prolonged detention had become a touchstone for internal dissent, drawing criticism from opposition figures and federal allies who accused the Jubaland administration of suppressing rival voices. Rights advocates and political actors pointed to his house arrest as evidence of the region’s deepening polarization, even as Jubaland’s leadership defended its actions as necessary to preserve order amid contested elections and shifting coalitions.

The decision to free Gaboose appears designed to lower the political temperature ahead of renewed engagement among rival camps in Kismayo. It also signals a willingness by Madobe’s administration to seek accommodation with critics and to project a stabilizing posture after years of confrontation that complicated relations with Mogadishu and strained local governance.

While no formal roadmap has been announced, Sunday’s consultations — featuring both political and religious voices — suggest Jubaland’s leadership is leaning on consensus-building figures to shepherd a reconciliation process. Whether that yields durable political settlements will hinge on how far each side is willing to compromise on questions of authority, electoral legitimacy and the balance of power between the regional presidency and its challengers.

For now, the release reopens political space in Kismayo and offers a test of whether Jubaland’s factions can translate conciliatory messaging into practical steps that restore trust and improve security and governance across the region. The outcome will be closely watched in Mogadishu and among international partners, who have urged dialogue to reduce friction between Somalia’s federal government and its member states.

• Who: Federal Senator Ilyas Bedel Gaboose, a prominent opposition figure in Jubaland.
• What: Released after nearly 16 months under house arrest.
• When: Sunday.
• Where: Kismayo, the capital of Jubaland.
• Why it matters: Signals a bid to ease political tensions, rebuild unity and reset relations among rival factions after years of disputes over leadership and electoral legitimacy.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.