MOGADISHU, Somalia – Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is preparing to visit Ras Kamboni, a town in the Lower Jubba region, in a move that could escalate tensions with President Ahmed Madobe of Jubaland, a regional state in Somalia.
Prime Minister Barre is scheduled to depart from the capital, Mogadishu, to meet with hundreds of military personnel recently deployed and stationed in the town.
Reliable sources say Barre, in military uniform, plans to visit in person to boost the troops’ morale, despite having only three days left in President Madobe’s 15-day deadline for troop withdrawal from his region.
Ras Kamboni i is seen as a key hub for the central government to prepare its military strategies against Madobe, who secured re-election for the third time last month.
The central government rejected Madobe’s re-election, accusing him of defying the new one-person, one-vote election system while deploying its own troops to arrest him.
Heavily armed soldiers from Jubaland reportedly established defensive positions about 40 km from Ras Kamboni to prevent any troops from advancing toward the presidential compound in Kismayo.
While facing demands for an urgent troop withdrawal, the central government appears determined to maintain its military presence in the region.
Madobe also threatened military action if his demands are not met and warned of severe consequences for any military presence in areas under his jurisdiction.
Despite calls to avoid bloodshed, political analysts say that if the central government and Jubaland authorities fail to resolve their differences through dialogue, the current standoff could escalate into full-blown conflict.
