Wednesday 27,Nov,2024 {HMC} The re-election of Ahmed Islam Mohammed alias “Madobe” as president of the Juba Region has reignited tensions with the federal government in Mogadishu, which has not recognized the legitimacy of the vote. The federal government has mobilized its troops to take control of the region, whose administration has organized its own presidential elections maintaining the indirect voting system, in open contrast with the constitutional reform promoted by the president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and already approved by the parliament in Mogadishu. According to the text voted last April, the reform promotes a centralization of powers and gives the federal president the authority to appoint and dismiss prime ministers, as well as greater control over appointments to the Electoral Commission, taking away autonomy from the regional states. In protest against this line, last March the authorities of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland severed their relations with Mogadishu, claiming to remain with an indirect system of elections. The same line was adopted by the Juba Province.
In reaction to Madobe’s electoral victory and the aggressive tone of his inaugural speech – “in the Juba region I am the only president” – the federal government today sent seven planes loaded with troops to the town of Ras Kamboni – known as Cape Chiambone since it passed from a British Kenyan colony to the Kingdom of Italy in 1924 – including special police and military units trained by Turkey known as Haram’ad and Gorgor. In statements collected by the local news site “Caasimada online”, the commander of the 18th division of the Somali army Hassan Iraqi said that the ongoing military maneuvers are focused on capturing operational bases intended to be abandoned by Kenyan troops by the end of the year, at the end of their mandate as part of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission (ATMIS). According to press sources, the federal government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is also preparing to deploy additional troops to the Gedo region tomorrow, November 27, particularly in Ras Kamboni and El Wak, on the border with Kenya.
According to other sources, in the meantime, Federal Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has started negotiations with the troops of the Juba in Afmadu, pushing the regional military to pass into the ranks of the federal army, as part of a strategic plan to bring the cities of the Juba under the control of Mogadishu. However, the capital Kismayo is an exception to this influence exercised by Mogadishu, the stronghold of the regional president Madobe, who in turn has sent his men to Ras Kamboni to counter the military maneuvers of the federal government. A situation that increases the risk of a military showdown between the parties and endangers not only the administration of Madobe but the entire regional state, large parts of which are now under the control of Al Shabaab.
Ahmed Islam Mohamed alias “Madobe” was re-elected to a second term as president with 55 votes out of the 75 total cast by the regional parliament. Two other candidates, Abubakar Abdi Hassan and Faisal Abdi Matan, received four and 16 votes respectively and acknowledged defeat. Madobe gave a harsh inauguration speech, stressing that since 2013 his administration has faced serious opposition that has included armed violence, and accusing Mogadishu of interference. In addition to the constitutional reform, Madobe is at loggerheads with the government of President Mohamud over tensions caused by the presence of Ethiopian troops in the region of Gedo (part of the territory of the Juba): on the one hand the federal government is calling for their withdrawal, given the dispute with Addis Ababa over the controversial memorandum of understanding signed with Somaliland, on the other Madobe is calling for their permanence as they are considered crucial in the fight against terrorism. “I do not recognize Ethiopia or Kenya, nor do I care about anyone else. There is no other president in Juba but me. There are no security forces here except Juba forces, and no one will dare to disturb the stability of Kismayo under my watch,” Madobe said in his speech.
The president-elect then accused the federal government of deploying its troops in Ras Kamboni in an attempt to destabilize the region and divert attention from the war against the jihadist group al Shabaab, as he claimed President Mohamud had done in 2013, then in his first term. “This will never happen again,” he vowed, warning that regional forces would crush any threat from the federal government. “Jubaland is Jubaland and there will never be any other administration in this state except mine,” Madobe added. Mogadishu’s moves have not been more accommodating. The federal government has not recognized the outcome of the Jubaland elections, declaring the vote illegal and in violation of the country’s constitution. In a harsh statement published after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, the government announced that it had instructed the Attorney General to file a lawsuit against Madobe at the Supreme Court. “Our commitment to the rule of law is unwavering. The actions taken today reflect our determination to uphold democratic principles and ensure that all electoral processes are conducted in accordance with the law,” Prime Minister Barre said at a press conference.
Source Hiiraan online
