Jubaland has called for the United Nations arms embargo on Somalia to be reviewed and potentially reimposed, following a deadly airstrike in Doolow that it alleges was carried out by Turkey and targeted the residence of former Somali Custodial Corps commander Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Aden, widely known as Commander Shub.
In a statement issued by the Jubaland Ministry of Information, the administration claimed the strike wounded Gen. Mahad and killed civilians, including individuals reportedly working at or residing near the property.
Jubaland further alleged that the attack was politically motivated and linked to ongoing disagreements between the Federal Government of Somalia and political actors opposed to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration.
The regional administration accused Turkey of abandoning its neutral role in Somalia and argued that the strike was an act of retaliation connected to political disputes rather than counterterrorism operations.
“From now on, we will no longer consider Turkey a neutral party,” the statement said.
Jubaland urged the United Nations, African Union, IGAD, United States, European Union and other international partners to launch an independent investigation into the incident and reassess military assistance provided to Somalia.
The administration warned that weapons supplied to the country could be used in internal political conflicts and clan-based violence in southern Somalia rather than exclusively for security operations.
The statement described the incident as evidence that Somalia’s political crisis is deepening and claimed that continued arms transfers risk fueling further instability.
Jubaland argued that international partners should reconsider existing security arrangements to prevent weapons from being used in domestic conflicts.
Turkey has not publicly commented on the allegations, and there has been no independent verification of who carried out the strike.
The Federal Government of Somalia has also not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The call represents a significant escalation in tensions between Jubaland and Ankara, which has been one of Somalia’s closest security and defense partners for more than a decade.
The airstrike and the competing claims surrounding it are likely to intensify scrutiny of Somalia’s security partnerships and the increasingly polarized political landscape in the country.
