Somalia: President Madoobe says ‘Jubaland will move forward’

[xiinfaniin]

KISMAYO, Somalia Jun 12 2013 (Garowe Online) – Jubaland state President Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Madoobe returned to Kismayo on Wednesday where he held a press conference stating that he didn’t oppose President Hassan Sheikh but that Jubaland would continue forward, Garowe Online reports.

 

The President elect, Sheikh Ahmed Madoobe arrived at the port city of Kismayo on Wednesday where he was welcomed by Jubaland officials at the Ahmed Gurey International Airport. Shortly after his arrival, the Jubaland president held a press conference discussing his meetings with Somali Federal Government (SFG) President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

 

“President Hassan and I met; I reassured him that he did not need to be concerned and that he [Hassan] is our President and that there would be no problems from our [Jubaland] side,” said Jubaland state President Sheikh Madoobe.

 

He continued to say that Jubaland would continue forward despite the setbacks. “Jubaland state has reached great success and we cannot afford to backtrack, we want to be an example for the Federal [states] Somalia.”

 

Earlier this week clashes in Kismayo by what Jubaland officials alleged were Al Shabaab forces funded by SFG officials led to over 15 people being killed on the fighting sides.

 

President Ahmed Madoobe sent his condolences to the Jubaland forces and civilians that died in the clashes.

 

The SFG has stood firmly against Jubaland state, refusing to recognize President Ahmed Madoobe who was elected last month. Although the two met in Nairobi earlier this week, it is unclear what came out of the meeting.

[xiinfaniin]

Jubaland: Kenya Defence Forces not supporting us

13 Jun 13, 2013 - 3:09:03 AM

 

NAIROBI ,Kenya 13 June,2013 (SD)-The simmering tension between the Government of Mogadishu and that in Nairobi over the establishment of Somali’s breakaway State of Jubaland has gotten intervention from a likely source.

 

State of Jubaland President, Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, has said Kenya is not behind the establishment of his newly breakaway state.

 

Madobe, who was recently elected President of the semi-autonomous region, defended the Government of Kenya and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from claims of backing his administration. In an interview with The Standard, the Jubaland leader said the establishment of a federal state in the South of Somalia was in line with Igad’s four-year marshal plan of restoring stability in Somalia.

 

He said the creation of a strong administration based on federalism was mooted in Addis Ababa four years ago during an Igad meeting that was attended by the then Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and presidents from the region.

 

“The only role that Kenya and Ethiopia have played is the provision of troops who have helped in flushing out the Al Shabaab elements from Jubaland,” he said.

 

The Ras Kamboni brigades’ Commander, who was Kenya’s key ally during the incursion against Al Shabaab by KDF, also denied allegations that Kenya’s military was abusing and mistreating his people.

 

“KDF transited into Amison and there have been no incidents of human rights abuse by either KDF or Amison,” Madobe said while accusing some elements of the Somali Government of working in cahoots with remnants of Al Shabaab to taint the soldiers’ image.

 

Madobe denied allegations of secession from Somalia and said external donors who include Kenya did not fund his election at the Kisimayu University.

 

Kenya has repeatedly denied being behind the creation of a semi-autonomous state to act as a buffer zone against the Al Shabaab militants who threaten regional stability through their terrorism activities.

 

An MP recently went to the Somalia Parliament and displayed pictures of what he claimed was proof of KDF’s abuses on the people of Jubaland, but Sheikh Madobe distanced his administration and KDF from the photos.

 

Madobe said he is looking forward to working with the Government of Sheikh Hassan Mohamoud (Somalia President) through a federal regime system.

 

Source: Standard Digital (Kenya)

[xiinfaniin]

Somalia: Jubaland's successful electoral process

12 Jun 12, 2013 - 12:54:03 PM

 

By WHITNEY GRESPIN, UPI Outside View Commentator

 

ARLINGTON, Va., June 7 (UPI) -- The establishment of the new semi-autonomous Somali Jubaland state is a step in the right direction for a stable Somalia but the region isn't in the clear yet.

 

Three weeks ago saw the turning of a significant corner in modern Somali history: a vote for the transparently elected leadership of the newly declared Jubaland state. On May 15 hundreds of clan representatives from throughout the region voted Sheik Ahmed Mohamed Islam -- aka "Ahmed Madobe" -- to serve as president, with a General Fartag reported to have been selected to serve as vice president of Jubaland.

 

As it turns out, though, around the corner laid a number of hurdles for the newly formed state government.

 

Mere hours after the announcement that Madobe had won the presidency, a rival clansman, militia commander and former Somali minister of defense with the Transitional Federal Government named Barre Adan Shire Hirale declared himself the electoral victor.

 

While the conflicting claim was quickly rejected by designated clan representatives, it has been reported that some sources accused the Somali Federal Government of secretly backing the surprise self-declaration.

 

Although the electoral process itself can be seen as a victory, caustic remarks challenging the legitimacy of the election process were made by SFG President Hassan Sheik Mohamud at an orphanage opening May 19 in Mogadishu. His statements indicated that his government recognized neither the process nor the outcome of the election as adhering to requirements outlined in the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

 

Although the outcomes have been rejected, the process and affiliates of the Kismayo Convention, as the governance design process has been dubbed, were well known to SFG members since its activities began under the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development.

 

In order to understand the motivation of the interested parties, it is important to appreciate the setting in which these disputes are occurring. The newly branded Jubaland state, which shares borders with Kenya to the southwest and Ethiopia to the north, is Somalia's southernmost territory and is composed of the three administrative regions of Gedo, Middle Juba, and Lower Juba. Though these are potentially rich agricultural regions with regular seasonal rainfall, reliably flowing rivers, relatively preserved forests and fertile land for farming and herding, it is the port city of Kismayo that is the jewel in the crown of the nascent Jubaland state.

 

Just more than 300 miles southwest of Mogadishu, Kismayo has long been the prized possession over which opposing factions vie for control. Kismayo's status as a regional transportation hub is critical to commerce and transit. Three main thoroughfares connect Kismayo to other parts of the country and Kismayo is home to two of the country's airports. Perhaps most importantly, though, is Kismayo's deep-water seaport, which could allow for the reinitiation of profitable domestic and international trade as security in the region improves.

 

Access to the port played a major role in the development of southern Somalia in the latter half of the 20th century but the docks and surrounding infrastructure fell into disrepair until they were jointly refurbished by the U.S. and Somali governments in 1984. Three decades of neglect and war have rendered the port unusable for large commercial and naval vessels but control of and access to the site remains vital as prospects for renewed trade begin presenting themselves.

 

Beyond the in-fighting amongst recognized stakeholders to maintain power over resources and critical infrastructure sites, the activities of non-state actors continues to threaten the tenuous gains.

 

Although the Kenyan Defense Forces under leadership of the African Union Mission in Somalia and alongside local Somali militias were successful in crippling al-Shabaab's hold on the region, the militant group still maintains a notable presence across southern Somalia. Their occupation limits freedom of movement throughout the region, including control of multiple checkpoints on a critical road between Mogadishu and Kismayo.

Clan affiliations remain primary sociopolitical constructs in the region and they are the basis from which representatives pooled to form the voting council for last week's Kismayo Convention presidential elections.

 

On a national scale it is widely thought that Jubaland's allegiances are divided between pro-Mogadishu and pro-Kenyan movements, which may lead to local elections having wider repercussions than might initially be expected.

 

Reconciling these differences to collaborate on building a secure state with a respected legitimate government to impose rule of law will be vital to the durability of the Jubaland state and the wider Somali nation. While there are substantial obstacles that both the state and the country will have to overcome, not least of which the interpretation of the wording of the Provisional Constitution, the international community should be supportive of the transparent election process initiated by the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development body.

 

If grassroots processes can prevail in the former militant stronghold only months after the fall of al-Shabaab, then perhaps the clouds will part on a new era of economic and sociopolitical stability for the inhabitants of Somalia.

 

--

(Whitney Grespin has overseen education and security sector capacity building programs on five continents. She is a research fellow with Young Professionals in Foreign Policy and a member of Women in International Security and the 2012-13 inaugural class of the Eurasia Foundation's Young Professionals Network.)

 

 

Source: UPI

[Sensei]

And it must move forward, anything less that amounts to treason.

[Carafaat]

xiinfaniin;961572 wrote:

Jubaland: Kenya Defence Forces not supporting us

13 Jun 13, 2013 - 3:09:03 AM

 

NAIROBI ,Kenya 13 June,2013 (SD)-The simmering tension between the Government of Mogadishu and that in Nairobi over the establishment of Somali’s breakaway State of Jubaland has gotten intervention from a likely source.

 

State of Jubaland President, Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, has said Kenya is not behind the establishment of his newly breakaway state.

 

Madobe, who was recently elected President of the semi-autonomous region, defended the Government of Kenya and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from claims of backing his administration. I

n an interview with The Standard, the Jubaland leader said the establishment of a federal state in the South of Somalia

was

in line with Igad’s four-year marshal plan of restoring stability in Somalia.

 

He said the creation of a strong administration based on federalism was mooted in Addis Ababa four years ago during an Igad meeting that was attended by the then Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and presidents from the region.

Someone should provide Madobe with the recent IGAD positions.