MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has offered a full amnesty to regional forces from Jubaland state who had crossed into neighbouring Kenya, urging their immediate return in a significant bid to de-escalate a long-running political and military crisis in the strategic Gedo region.

The president’s office announced the move late Tuesday following recent armed clashes in the border region, which has been a flashpoint for tensions between the federal government in Mogadishu and the administration of Jubaland, one of Somalia’s five semi-autonomous member states.

In a statement, President Mohamud extended condolences to the families of those killed in the fighting and ordered the federal government to dispatch urgent humanitarian and medical aid to the affected population.

He directly addressed the Jubaland state troops who had retreated into Kenya, ordering them “to return to their areas” and guaranteeing their safety. “The president confirmed that no one will be punished and promised the forces their safety and security,” the statement read.

The move marks a pivotal effort by Mohamud, who took office in mid-2022, to resolve one of the most persistent political disputes inherited from the previous administration, which sought to centralize control over Gedo, a region officially under Jubaland’s jurisdiction.

New administration planned 

The president’s de-escalation call came as a newly appointed federal official in Gedo announced plans to establish a new local administration, a move that directly challenges the authority of Jubaland’s government, led by Ahmed Madobe.

Abdirashid Hassan Nur, widely known as Abdirashid Janan, a controversial security figure appointed by Mogadishu as the regional commander for the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), declared the plan during a public meeting in the key border town of Beledxaawo.

“We want to work so that you can come together and build an administration that is yours and that you trust,” Janan told local elders and residents.

Janan also imposed a strict ban on carrying unauthorized weapons within Beledxaawo, stating that federal security forces would be solely responsible for maintaining order. “The era of ‘I belong to this clan so that I will carry a gun’… will not exist from today onwards,” he asserted.

The Gedo region, which borders both Kenya and Ethiopia, has been at the heart of a power struggle for years. Under the previous government of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmaajo,” federal forces were deployed to Gedo, effectively wresting control of several key districts from the Jubaland administration based in the port city of Kismayo.

This standoff severely strained relations between Mogadishu and Kismayo and drew in neighbouring Kenya, which has historically been a key backer of Ahmed Madobe’s Jubaland government as a buffer zone against the Al-Shabaab insurgency. 

The presence of Jubaland forces on Kenyan soil is a direct result of being pushed out by federal troops in past confrontations, as documented by reports from institutions like the International Crisis Group.

President Mohamud’s strategy

President Mohamud’s current strategy is a two-pronged approach: extending an olive branch to the sidelined Jubaland forces while simultaneously cementing federal influence through a new, locally-formed administration under the oversight of a federal appointee.

The appointment of Abdirashid Janan to oversee this transition is highly significant and potentially inflammatory. Janan formerly served as the security minister for Jubaland before defecting to the federal government’s side during the previous administration’s standoff with Ahmed Madobe.

He is a divisive figure who was accused by Amnesty International and other rights groups of responsibility for serious human rights violations, including unlawful killings, during his time as a security official. In a high-profile incident in January 2020, he escaped from a government-run prison in Mogadishu, where he was awaiting trial.

His re-emergence as a key federal government operative in Gedo signals Mogadishu’s determination to finalize its control over the region’s governance, though his controversial past could complicate reconciliation efforts.

In his concluding remarks, President Mohamud urged “all parties involved in the tensions in Gedo to work for peace, unity, and the solidarity of the Somali people,” as the country continues to battle a persistent insurgency by Al-Shabaab militants, who often exploit such internal political divisions.