GARBAHAREY, SOMALIA – Tensions are mounting in Somalia’s Gedo region after the arrest of ten prominent traditional elders in Garbaharey, the regional capital, on Monday. Local sources indicate that the elders were detained by police forces following a press conference in which they voiced strong opposition to the Federal Government’s approach to the Jubaland political crisis.
The arrested elders reportedly expressed support for the regional administration led by President Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe,” a longtime political rival of the federal government in Mogadishu. Their detention has sparked immediate concern and raised fears of renewed political instability in the already volatile region.
As of Tuesday morning, local authorities in Garbaharey have not issued any official statement regarding the arrests. However, the incident has drawn sharp criticism from the Jubaland administration, which condemned the detentions as politically motivated and accused the Somali federal government of orchestrating efforts to undermine Jubaland’s autonomy.
“This is yet another clear indication of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s strategy to dismantle the legitimate institutions of Jubaland,” the Jubaland presidency said in an official statement. “The people of Jubaland are fully aware of these authoritarian tactics, which are doomed to fail.”
In a further escalation, Jubaland officials also claimed that Ahmed Hussein Jama, a well-known civil society activist in Garbaharey, was abducted from his home by security forces allegedly linked to the federal government.
“Ahmed Hussein Jama was forcibly taken from his residence in Garbaharey by troops acting on orders from President Hassan Sheikh and his inner circle,” read a statement from the Jubaland Ministry of Interior.
The latest developments come in the wake of the National Consultative Council’s recent communiqué, which called for a legal and constitutional review of the Jubaland issue. The Council tasked Somalia’s Federal Ministry of Interior with proposing recommendations to resolve the ongoing dispute over the legitimacy of the Jubaland administration.
“The Council unanimously agreed that the Ministry of Interior should present a legal framework and advice on the status of Jubaland in accordance with the country’s constitution,” stated the communiqué.
The unfolding events have heightened political tensions between Mogadishu and Kismayo, potentially jeopardizing fragile efforts aimed at federal reconciliation and regional stability.
HORN LIFE
