Fighting has broken out between Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubaland region and the federal government, marking a significant escalation in tensions after Jubbaland conducted elections against the advice of Mogadishu.
Adan Ahmed Haji, the assistant security minister of Jubaland, reported during a press conference on Wednesday that federal forces from Mogadishu attacked Jubaland forces in Ras Kamboni using drones earlier in the day.
The federal government’s Information Minister Daud Aweis and Interior Minister Yusuf Ali have not yet responded to inquiries regarding the incident.
The unrest follows Jubaland’s re-election of Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe as regional president for a third term in late November, despite opposition from the national government. Jubaland, which borders Kenya and Ethiopia, is one of Somalia’s five semi-autonomous states and has historically had strained relations with Mogadishu.
The situation underscores the fragility of Somalia’s federal structure and raises concerns about further escalation in the already volatile region.
