FGS tasks ministry to review Jubbaland’s ‘legal status’ amid growing political tensions
The Somali Federal Government (FGS) has escalated its standoff with the Jubbaland administration by announcing plans to review the legal status of the state’s leadership.
Somalia’s National Consultative Council (NCC) has tasked the Federal Ministry of Interior to submit recommendations on the status of Jubbaland. This move is seen by observers as an attempt to undermine the current regional leadership under President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, widely known as Ahmed Madobe.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the NCC said the Ministry of Interior had been instructed to present proposals in accordance with the Constitution and national laws to help establish a legally recognised federal member state.
The announcement has stirred political debate, especially amid worsening tensions between the federal government and Jubbaland.
In December 2024, federal troops were deployed to the coastal town of Ras Kamboni to challenge Ahmed Madobe’s administration. His re-election through indirect elections had been rejected by the FGS. Deadly clashes followed between forces aligned with Villa Somalia and Jubbaland, leading to casualties and reports of some fighters crossing into Kenya.
Since then, the two sides have remained in a political deadlock with no working relationship. The federal government excluded Jubbaland from the latest NCC summit that began this week in Mogadishu.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the federal government is now considering unveiling a parallel administration based in the Gedo region. Gedo has long been a contested area between the federal government and the Kismayo-based regional authority.
Analysts believe the move aims to increase pressure on Ahmed Madobe amid ongoing disputes over the electoral model and upcoming elections.
In response, Jubbaland issued a strong statement rejecting the NCC’s resolutions. Minister of Information Abdifatah Mukhtar said the summit’s outcomes do not apply to the Jubbaland administration and criticised the meeting as being led by a single political group.
“What emerged from the meeting of one-party leaders is something we cannot accept,” Mukhtar said.
These developments come as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud faces growing criticism over his management of the NCC. Puntland and Jubbaland boycotted the summit due to political differences with Mogadishu. Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo also accused the president of using the NCC as a personal political platform.
