MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least three planes carrying armed units from the Somali National Army (SNA) have landed at an airfield in Ras Kamboni, about 274 km south of Kismayo in the Lower Jubba region, as political tensions over Somalia’s unified electoral system continue to escalate.
Monday’s troop deployment comes just hours after Ahmed Madobe was re-elected as President of Jubaland for the next five years in an indirect election, which is viewed as a clear violation of the more unified and direct electoral system promoted by the central government.
The central government, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has yet to congratulate Madobe on his victory. Its new electoral law—Article 82, Section 2—declares any election not conducted under the unified system as invalid.
Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Iraqi, commander of the 18th Battalion of the Somali National Army’s Special Forces, confirmed that planes carrying units from the Gorgor Brigade, the Turkish-trained Special Forces, had landed in Ras Kamboni after being airlifted from the capital, Mogadishu.
Iraqi stated that the troops are tasked with accelerating operations to drive Al-Shabaab militants out of the Lower Jubba region. He also dismissed rumors suggesting that the soldiers are headed to Kismayo to remove President Ahmed Madobe for defying the country’s electoral system.
He added that the troops will take control of military bases vacated by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). With the AU mission set to end on December 31, Somali forces will assume responsibility for the country’s security.
In his re-election victory speech, President Ahmed Madobe said heavily armed troops sent from Mogadishu had landed in Ras Kamboni. While the Lower Jubba region falls under his jurisdiction, Madobe emphasized that the troops had arrived without his consent. He also described their deployment as a direct threat to his leadership.
Reliable sources say Madobe has ordered his troops to move toward Ras Kamboni to prevent the forces from reaching Kismayo, where his presidential compound is located. He has also instructed his troops to confront the incoming forces if necessary.
Despite escalating political tensions, it remains unclear whether President Mohamud will compromise, set aside his political rift with Jubaland over Monday’s election violation, and work with Madobe to move Somalia forward.
