Ahmed Madobe, the President of Jubaland, has spoken for the first time about the recent clashes in Raas-Kambooni, a region in Lower Juba. He strongly accused the Federal Government of Somalia of being behind the conflict, claiming they orchestrated it to achieve their political objectives. In a lengthy press release, Ahmed Madobe expressed disappointment, emphasizing that the situation could have been avoided through dialogue and mutual understanding.
The press release reads as follows:
“PRESS RELEASE
The Jubaland Government deeply regrets the conflict that occurred yesterday in Raas-Kambooni, Lower Juba, where young Somali men tragically clashed. This unfortunate event could have been avoided through dialogue and compromise.
As we have repeatedly stated, this conflict was instigated by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his group, who believed they could achieve misguided political goals by unlawfully deploying Somali National Army (SNA) troops, disregarding their legal mandate.
Due to these illegal actions, Hassan Sheikh and his group deployed troops to Raas-Kambooni, where they incited young Somali men to fight each other in pursuit of unconstitutional and illegitimate political aims.
It is important to note that Raas-Kambooni has been a peaceful area for the past 13 years, with no history of insecurity. Moreover, it is not one of the areas under the withdrawal plan of the ATMIS troops currently exiting the country.
Unfortunately, instead of deploying the SNA to areas still controlled by extremist groups, the government has misused the army for senseless conflicts that have persisted since 2011.
For instance, extremist groups still control areas near Mogadishu, yet Hassan Sheikh diverted SNA resources to Raas-Kambooni for political purposes that are not in line with the broader interests of the country.
The Jubaland Government believes that involving the SNA in political matters undermines efforts to rebuild state institutions, particularly the security forces, which are the backbone of our nation’s sovereignty.
Today, some of the injured SNA soldiers from the Raas-Kambooni clashes have been transported to Mogadishu for further medical treatment. Meanwhile, Jubaland continues to provide care and support to all its soldiers, who are Somali youths. Their injuries are being treated comprehensively, and once recovered, they will return to their homes in peace.
Finally, the Jubaland Government reaffirms its position that political disputes cannot be resolved through violence. Jubaland remains committed to dialogue and resolving differences at the negotiating table through mutual understanding and compromise.”
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