MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Forces loyal to Abdirashid Abdinuur Janan, recently appointed by Somalia’s federal government as the head of NISA operations in Jubaland, seized control of Beled-Hawo town in Gedo region on Wednesday following intense fighting with Jubaland regional forces.
The clashes left more than 30 people dead including civilians and dozens more injured, according to local health workers.
The violence also triggered mass displacement, with hundreds of families fleeing the town under heavy shelling and gunfire.
The conflict erupted last week when federal-backed troops under Janan, deployed from Mogadishu, arrived in Beled-Hawo—a town previously under Jubaland administration.
Janan’s forces established a military base on the town’s outskirts, prompting a standoff with regional troops who surrounded the area.
Residents in neighboring Mandera, Kenya, reported that mortar shells landed in residential neighborhoods as a result of the cross-border fighting.
Many of the displaced residents from Beled-Hawo have now taken refuge in Mandera.
Senior Jubaland officials, including Vice President Mahmoud Sayid Adan and Security Minister General Darwish, are currently in Mandera assessing the situation.
Beled-Hawo, a key border town, was previously among the more stable areas in southern Somalia, despite occasional attacks by the al-Shabaab militant group active in surrounding rural areas.
Janan’s Controversial Role
Abdirashid Janan, a former Jubaland Security Minister and District Commissioner of Doolow, has faced serious accusations of human rights abuses.
Rights groups including Amnesty International and UN monitoring bodies have linked him to civilian killings, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and destabilizing peace efforts.
He was arrested by the federal government in 2019 but escaped from house arrest shortly after—an escape he later confirmed publicly.
The Beled-Hawo takeover came just days after Jubaland forces clashed with federal NISA troops in the nearby town of Doolow. Jubaland forces claimed victory in that confrontation.
The Somali federal government has accused Ethiopian troops stationed in Doolow of backing its forces in the fighting—an allegation that has not yet received a response from Ethiopian authorities.
In a statement, Jubaland’s Ministry of Information condemned what it called a “deliberate and hostile” act by Villa Somalia, accusing the federal government of using donor-supplied aircraft to transport troops to Beled-Hawo.
“Jubaland strongly condemns this shameful aggression orchestrated by Villa Somalia,” the statement said.
While Jubaland has not officially commented on Janan’s takeover of Beled-Hawo, sources indicate that its forces are regrouping outside the town, raising fears of a fresh round of conflict.
Why is Gedo a hotspot?
The ongoing conflict in Gedo stems from a deepening rift between the federal government and Jubaland’s leadership.
Tensions escalated in November 2024 when Mogadishu rejected the re-election of Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe).
Since then, the federal government has deployed troops across Gedo in an effort to undermine Jubaland’s authority and install a rival administration.
Jubaland has responded by reinforcing its military presence, leading to recurring clashes in Bardhere, Garbaharey, and Doolow—towns located along the Ethiopian border.
Beled-Hawo now marks the latest and most significant flashpoint in this simmering power struggle between Mogadishu and Kismayo.