Jubaland

Jubaland Raises Alarm Over Federal Government’s Threat to Somali Federalism KISMAYO, Somalia — Somalia’s Jubaland regional administration on Saturday accused the federal government of overstepping its constitutional authority, warning that efforts to impose unilateral changes on the country’s federal system risk destabilizing political order and undermining national unity. In a statement issued by the office of the Jubaland presidency, the regional state said Mogadishu’s recent actions “would not change the status” of…

Somalia: Jubaland releases federal senator after 16 months, seeks to calm tensions Jubaland frees Senator Ilyas Bedel Gaboose after prolonged house arrest in Kismayo President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe frames move as reconciliation, meets with Gaboose and Sheikh Dahir Ahmed Abdullahi Detention stemmed from challenge to Madobe’s re-election; release comes amid constitutional strains and ahead of 2026 polls KISMAYO, Somalia — The Jubaland administration on Sunday released federal senator and prominent opposition figure…

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…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Jubaland and Puntland State regional administrations on Sunday accused the federal government of blocking planes carrying their soldiers and presidential security guards from landing in the capital, an escalation that threatens a planned high-level consultative conference on elections. Both regional states said aircraft transporting advance delegations and security details were ordered to turn back shortly before landing at Aden Adde International Airport. The orders, they said, were unsafe, politically…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Puntland State and Jubaland on Sunday accused Somalia’s federal government of endangering their delegations and security personnel after aircraft carrying troops and advance officials were ordered to turn back en route to Mogadishu. In separate statements, the two Federal Member States condemned what they said was a federal government decision to deny air clearance to planes transporting security teams ahead of the arrival of Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubaland President Ahmed…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government has canceled an arrest warrant for Jubaland President Ahmed Madoobe, clearing the way for him to attend high-level talks in Mogadishu on Feb. 1 and potentially easing a long-running standoff between federal and regional authorities. The Banadir Regional Court issued the warrant in November 2024 after Madoobe secured a third-term victory in Kismayo, a re-election the federal government deemed illegal under the country’s shift toward a one-person, one-vote electoral system. The order…

Jubaland Leader Warns Somali President Against Power Grab Amid 2026 Election Dispute KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland state President Ahmed Madobe on Thursday warned Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud against consolidating power, accusing the federal leader of advancing policies he once opposed and underscoring growing rifts ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections. Speaking at the Somali Future Council conference in Kismayo, Madobe cast the gathering as a forum to confront political tensions and said Somalia’s governance must rest…

Mogadishu — U.S. Africa Command carried out seven new airstrikes in Somalia between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, pushing this year’s total to at least 109 strikes — a record level of U.S. military activity in the country. The latest operations targeted ISIS-linked militants in Puntland State and an al-Shabaab site in southern Jubaland, AFRICOM said. The command described a rapid sequence of strikes focused on a remote mountain zone southeast of Bosaso, a longtime militant hideout, and a separate strike near the Kenyan border. It did…

Jubaland forms drought response committee as water crisis deepens; 1.5 million need aid, OCHA says KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe” has appointed a seven-member committee to steer the region’s response to a worsening drought, as aid agencies warn of escalating food insecurity and water shortages across southern Somalia. The decree, released Sunday, empowers an interministerial body to organize relief operations, accelerate aid delivery and coordinate with humanitarian partners. The committee…

KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland President Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe pressed the United States to increase investment in Somalia’s federal member states during talks in Kismayo with a U.S. delegation led by Ambassador Richard H. Riley, as the region seeks to consolidate security gains against al-Shabab. In the engagement with the ambassador and senior diplomats, Madobe outlined a slate of priorities centered on security, governance and economic development, highlighting what his administration described as steady progress in…