Friday April 11, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — The Jubbaland regional government has voiced doubts about participating in a national political dialogue convened by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, casting renewed uncertainty over efforts to resolve long-standing political disputes between federal and regional authorities.
Jubbaland Information Minister Abdifatah Mohamed Mukhtar said on Thursday that the region would not be swayed by directives from Villa Somalia. He added that Jubbaland would continue to determine its own political course.
“Jubbaland made a responsible and independent decision to withdraw from the National Consultative Council meeting on October 7, 2024,” Abdifatah said. “If President Hassan has forgotten, let him be reminded: Jubbaland is not governed from Villa Somalia. We shape our own destiny.”
The comments come as President Mohamud seeks to bring federal member states back to the table to unify efforts in addressing Somalia’s political challenges and intensifying the fight against Al-Shabaab militants.
That breakdown in relations has since spilled into open conflict. In December 2024, Jubbaland forces clashed with Somali federal troops near Ras Kambooni, a strategic town near the Kenyan border. Jubbaland claimed it captured the area, while federal officials accused the region of igniting the confrontation and allegedly colluding with Al-Shabaab militants—a charge Jubbaland strongly denied.
Jubbaland officials maintain that the Somali National Army (SNA) has been politicized to enforce federal control over autonomous states. They also accused the government of halting development projects, diverting humanitarian aid, and restricting civilian flights to pressure the region.
President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe, who was re-elected for a third term in November 2024 despite federal objections, has been a vocal critic of what he calls the central government’s “monopolization of power and resources.” In a recent speech, Madobe likened the federal administration to a private company operating only within Mogadishu, disconnected from the needs of Somalia’s regional states.
Tensions have also flared over electoral reform. Jubbaland rejected the federal government’s push for universal suffrage and instead held its own indirect elections. Federal authorities responded by declaring Madobe’s presidency illegitimate and issuing an arrest warrant—an act mirrored by a reciprocal warrant from Jubbaland targeting President Mohamud.
Despite the firm stance from Jubbaland’s information minister, the region’s president, Ahmed Mohamed Islam—widely known as Ahmed Madobe—has in the past expressed support for inclusive dialogue, especially in the context of national unity and counterterrorism coordination. In March 2025, he welcomed President Mohamud’s call for peace talks, describing national unity as essential to defeating the insurgent group. However, he reiterated that such dialogue must be inclusive, transparent, and respect the autonomy of federal member states.