Jubaland Archives - Kaab TV

Jubaland President Holds Motivational Meeting with AFRICOM Special Operations Forces.

Staff Reporter — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:57:00 +0000

Mogadishu (Kaab TV) – The President of Jubaland, H.E. Ahmed Mohamed Islam, held a motivational meeting with officers from the United States Government’s AFRICOM Special Operations Forces currently operating in Jubaland.

The President expressed his gratitude to the officers for their strong cooperation in the field of security, particularly in training and counterterrorism operations, and commended their crucial role in recent operations that successfully defeated Khawarij militants across various areas of Jubaland.

President Ahmed Mohamed Islam praised the AFRICOM Special Operations Forces for their bravery and effective collaboration. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to strengthening security in Jubaland, he formally presented them with Medals of Honor and Certificates of Appreciation, acknowledging their vital role in providing multifaceted security support.

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Somalia Regional States Reach Deal on Shared Oil, Mineral Control

Staff Reporter — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:01:33 +0000

Mogadishu (Kaab TV) — Somalia’s federal government and four regional state administrations have reached an agreement to deepen cooperation and jointly oversee the country’s petroleum and mineral resources, a move aimed at easing long-standing political divisions in a sector viewed as vital to future national revenue.

The agreement was announced Monday at the end of a three-day conference in Mogadishu that brought together the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and representatives from regional petroleum authorities. Federal Minister of Petroleum Dahir Shire Mohamed said the talks reinforced national unity, constitutional collaboration, and shared decision-making in the management of natural resources.

“We have once again agreed to reject division and work together to ensure that petroleum and mineral resources are developed collectively,” Dahir told reporters, stressing that all decisions would be guided by the common interests of the Somali people.

Officials said the meeting focused on improving coordination between federal and state institutions, with commitments to implement national laws, regulations, and policies governing the sector while adhering to the constitution. Discussions also highlighted the need to strengthen data protection and security related to resource activities, alongside building technical capacity through training and skills development.

Participants agreed that all petroleum and mineral operations should serve the public interest and be carried out with a strong sense of national responsibility. Government officials described the outcome as a positive step toward rebuilding trust between federal and regional authorities and ensuring that Somalia’s natural resources benefit citizens nationwide.

Puntland and Jubbaland did not attend the conference, as both administrations continue to boycott cooperation with the federal government amid wider political disputes, reflecting ongoing tensions over resource governance.

The conference took place shortly after Turkey’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced plans to deploy a drilling vessel to Somalia in February, marking Turkey’s first overseas deepwater energy exploration project. Bayraktar said the Cagri Bey drilling ship would operate in offshore areas within Somalia’s territorial waters, though he did not provide details on potential reserves or investment.

Somalia has long regarded its offshore oil and gas potential as a cornerstone of economic recovery, but progress has been hindered by insecurity, political disagreements between federal and regional authorities, and the lack of a fully agreed resource-sharing framework.

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Drought Severely Affects Pastoralists and Farmers in South West State and Jubbaland

Staff Reporter — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:45:04 +0000

MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Areas under the South West State and Jubbaland administrations are experiencing a severe drought that has had a negative impact on pastoralists and farmers. Some families have begun migrating to other areas in search of survival.

Various sources told the media that the situation has worsened in recent days after the limited water previously available in some areas disappeared from wells, forcing residents to abandon their homes.

Livestock in several areas are beginning to die in large numbers due to a combination of thirst and lack of pasture. Cattle have been reported as the most affected among the different types of livestock.

Large tracts of farmland that depend on the Jubba and Shabelle rivers have dried up. Warnings have been issued that the situation could deteriorate further if no rainfall occurs or if the rivers do not receive new water.

Hundreds of families were displaced from their homes across southern and northern Somalia in December 2025. These people fled drought-stricken and water-scarce areas in an effort to save their lives.

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Monthly Meeting of the Jubbaland Justice and Security Community Held in Kismayo

Staff Reporter — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 14:54:32 +0000

KISMAYO (Kaab TV) – The monthly meeting of the Jubbaland Justice and Security Community was held in Kismayo and officially opened by the Jubbaland Minister of Internal Security, Major General Yusuf Hussein Osman Dhumal.

The meeting was attended by:

The Jubbaland Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs

Members of the House of Representatives

Directors General from the Ministries of Security and Justice

The President of the Jubbaland Women’s Association

Police officers

Representatives from civil society organizations in Kismayo

This regular monthly gathering focuses on reviewing the security situation, accelerating justice sector activities, and strengthening community involvement in maintaining public safety.

During the meeting, Minister Dhumal emphasized the importance of unified security efforts, noting that while Jubbaland has made substantial progress, further cooperation and coordination are still needed.

Officials in attendance also presented updates on the security and justice sectors, outlining current challenges and proposing practical solutions.

Participants collectively discussed strategies to encourage stronger community cooperation, enhance public awareness, and improve the reporting of security-related information to help prevent potential threats and acts of insecurity.

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Government and Jubbaland Forces Advance Toward Jamaame District

Staff Reporter — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 04:55:09 +0000

KISMAYO (Kaab TV) – Forces of the Federal Government of Somalia, supported by the Jubbaland administration, are advancing toward Jamaame district in the Lower Jubba region, an area currently controlled by Al-Shabaab.

The joint forces are conducting coordinated operations along the road leading to Jamaame and the banks of the Jubba River. Al-Shabaab fighters are attempting to halt the advance of the allied forces, who aim to retake the district—one of the group’s longstanding strongholds.

For the second consecutive week, government and Jubbaland forces have carried out intensive operations in areas surrounding Jamaame. Troops have now reached the vicinity of the Araare Bridge, located roughly 7 km from the town, where Al-Shabaab has established a significant defensive position.

Securing the Araare Bridge would pave the way for the allied forces to enter Jamaame for the first time since Al-Shabaab seized control in 2008. Reports indicate that residents have begun fleeing the district in anticipation of further clashes.

This joint operation marks one of the largest coordinated military offensives by Somali government and Jubbaland forces in the Lower Jubba region.

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A Light Footprint, Heavy Challenges: The Limits of Somalia’s Security Transition

Abdi Guled — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:45:01 +0000

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Earlier this year, the parade ground at AU’s Halane military compound in Mogadishu took on a decidedly ceremonial air — Somali flags fluttering beneath the scorching coastal sun, AU officers standing to attention as brass bands played to mark what many described as a new chapter in Somalia’s protracted conflict.

After nearly two decades of African Union peacekeeping, the last contingents of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) lowered their flags and prepared to leave.

In their place stood a new banner: AUSSOM — the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia.

On paper, it marked the beginning of Somalia’s long-promised self-reliance in security affairs. In practice, the transition has exposed the uneasy truth at the heart of Somalia’s recovery: the country’s ability to sustain peace may depend less on the number of troops and more on whether it has built a state worth defending.

A Transition of Necessity, Not Triumph

ATMIS — and its predecessor, AMISOM — had for years served as both shield and scaffolding.

Its African troops, funded largely by the European Union and the United States, absorbed the shock of al-Shabab’s insurgency and helped keep Mogadishu’s fragile institutions upright. But donor fatigue and shifting global priorities — from Ukraine to the Sahel — forced an inevitable question: how long could foreign troops fight a Somali war?

In 2024, that question found its answer. AUSSOM’s creation, designed as a leaner and politically lighter successor to ATMIS, was less a choice than a necessity.

The new mission’s mandate is advisory, not combat-driven, its footprint far smaller, and its emphasis on stabilisation rather than direct confrontation.

“It’s a handover with a stopwatch,” said a senior international security advisor in Nairobi, requesting anonymity to speak candidly.

“AUSSOM was created to exit gracefully, not to fight indefinitely.”

An Army in Search of a State

For Somalia’s government, the shift from ATMIS to AUSSOM is both an opportunity and a risk.

Officials in Mogadishu portray it as a milestone of sovereignty — proof that the country can now lead its own security. Yet across much of rural Somalia, reality tells a harsher story.

The Somali National Army (SNA) has improved markedly since the chaotic 2010s, when clan loyalties and payroll corruption hollowed out its ranks.

Training programs led by Turkey and the United States have produced elite units like the Gorgor and Danab commandos, while Washington has reinstated drone strikes and special operations support, and regional partners have strengthened the country’s logistical backbone.

Still, the army remains fragmented, under-equipped, and politically entangled.

Salaries often arrive late. Local militias — nominally under federal command — answer to regional presidents or clan elders. Officers in federal states complain privately that orders from Mogadishu are often ignored or filtered through patronage networks.

“The SNA fights bravely,” said a retired Somali colonel in Mogadishu.

“But bravery doesn’t win long wars — structure does. And that’s what we still lack.”

The Vacuum Problem

AUSSOM’s creation coincided with a series of territorial reversals that exposed the fragility of Somalia’s gains.

In the months leading up to the transition, al-Shabab retook pockets of territory in Galmudug and Hirshabelle. Analysts attribute these losses to a premature drawdown of ATMIS troops, leaving untested Somali forces overstretched and poorly supplied.

The new mission’s “light footprint” approach — focused on mentoring and political support — was meant to empower Somali institutions. Instead, it has revealed their limits.

AUSSOM lacks funds, the robust logistical chains, airlift capacity, and unified command that once defined ATMIS.

Coordination between AUSSOM and Somali units remains ad-hoc, dependent on donor-funded contractors and bilateral relationships rather than a cohesive national plan.

“The symbolism of transition outpaced the substance,” said a Horn of Africa analyst based in Nairobi.

“Somalia got sovereignty on paper before it got capacity on the ground.”

Politics Behind the Frontlines

Every battle in Somalia is also a political negotiation.

The country’s federal system — a patchwork of autonomous regions — means no military success is purely national.

In Jubaland, local forces maintain their own command chain. In Puntland, tensions with Mogadishu over resource control have repeatedly stalled joint operations.

That fragmentation weakens not just the fight against al-Shabab but the very legitimacy of the federal state. AUSSOM’s mandate, though military in form, is deeply political in function — to broker cooperation where mistrust runs deep.

“It’s a security mission trapped in a political puzzle,” said a senior AU official involved in the transition.

“You can train soldiers all you want, but if the politics doesn’t hold, they’re fighting for nothing.”

The Al-Shabab Factor

Despite sustained airstrikes and local offensives, the al-Qaeda linked extremist group, al-Shabab remains far more organized in much of rural Somalia than the state. It operates courts, collects taxes, and provides a crude form of governance in areas where the state is absent.

Intelligence reports indicate that the group has diversified its tactics — expanding into financial crime, cyber operations, and cross-border smuggling. Its resilience underscores a grim paradox: as foreign missions scale down, al-Shabab’s staying power grows not by strength of arms, but by the weakness of governance.

The militants have learned to avoid costly confrontations, instead using targeted assassinations, ambushes, and propaganda to exploit political divisions. In a recent statement, the group mocked the AUSSOM transition as “the changing of uniforms, not reality.”

Metrics of Success — or Failure

Diplomats in Mogadishu say the coming 18 months will be decisive. The benchmarks are clear but unforgiving:

Can Somali forces independently secure key population centers for at least six consecutive months?

Are defense salaries being paid transparently, without donor oversight?

Can AUSSOM operate effectively without emergency funding from the EU or the U.S.?

Most crucially, can local administrations deliver basic services faster than al-Shabab can re-infiltrate?

If the answer to most of these remains “no,” the transition risks becoming a managed retreat rather than a step toward sovereignty.

Regional and Strategic Ripples

Somalia’s experiment with AUSSOM is being watched closely across the Horn.

The withdrawal of large foreign forces also reorders power dynamics within Somalia’s elite. With fewer international boots on the ground, foreign policy leverage shifts — from military partners to financial ones.

Turkey, the UAE, and Qatar are positioning themselves as primary security and infrastructure patrons, each with distinct agendas that blur the line between assistance and influence.

As one diplomat put it: “AUSSOM is not just a military mission. It’s a geopolitical mirror reflecting who still believes in Somalia — and who is quietly giving up.”

Abdi Guled is a Horn of Africa analyst and journalist with a focus on political risk, armed groups, and geostrategic competition in fragile states.

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Jubaland, Puntland and Somali Salvation Forum Announce New Political Front

Kaab TV News Editor — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 15:52:25 +0000

NAIROBI (Kaab TV) — The administrations of Jubaland and Puntland, together with the Somali Salvation Forum, have announced the formation of a new political front aimed at shaping Somalia’s future.

In a joint communiqué issued in Somali, the three parties outlined the following commitments:

The establishment of a Somali Future Council, uniting the Salvation Forum with the governments of Jubaland and Puntland.
The convening of a national conference inside Somalia as soon as possible to deliberate on the country’s political transition.
Completion of the Somali Future Council’s formation at the upcoming conference.
A call for the Somali people to unite in safeguarding national unity, stability, and sovereignty against any threats.
Appreciation to the Government of Kenya for its efforts in supporting Somalia’s stability and development.

The announcement underscores growing efforts by Somalia’s regional administrations and political groups to influence the direction of the country’s governance and transition process.

This comes amid rising political tensions in Mogadishu, where the opposition Coalition continues to oppose President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s move to delay the 2026 elections.

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Clashes Renew on Kenya Border as Pro-Somalia Force Commander Issues Demands to Kenya

Kaab TV News Editor — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:43:02 +0000

DOOLOW, Somalia (Kaab TV) – Tensions have flared in Beled-Hawo district of Gedo region, where fighting broke out again yesterday [Monday] between forces of the Jubaland State and those loyal to Abdirashid Janan, backed by the Federal Government of Somalia.

At least six people, including two senior officers commanding the opposing sides, were killed, according to local officials and independent sources.

The number of wounded remains unknown.

Jubaland Vice President, Mahmoud Sayid Aden, said yesterday’s fighting was an attack on Jubaland forces stationed in the border village of Aamin.

“Our forces were attacked while in their positions. The federal government is responsible for launching this assault,” said Mahmoud Sayid Aden.

Jubaland troops withdrew from Beled-Hawo after the district was seized by forces led by Abdirashid Janan, recently appointed by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) as head of security for Gedo region.

Jubaland Vice President, Mahmoud Sayid Aden, said yesterday’s fighting was an attack on Jubaland forces stationed in the border village of Aamin.

Colonel Hussein Giif, the Jubaland police commander in Gedo, and Jubaland officer Farhan Odowa were confirmed dead after being taken to a hospital in Mandera, Kenya.

The Federal Ministry of Defence reported that two of its own officers — Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Hassan Guutaale and Private Ali Mohamed Gooni — were also killed in the clashes.

The federal government blamed the fighting on the Jubaland administration.

“The national army bravely repelled the attack,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Abdirashid Janan, who commands the pro-federal government forces involved in the fighting, issued a warning to the Kenyan government, demanding the return of vehicles he claimed belong to Jubaland forces and had crossed into Kenya.

“We want the Kenyan security agencies to hand over to us the vehicles bearing Somalia’s emblem that crossed the border into Kenya,” said Janan, who has previously been accused of human rights violations.

It is unclear how Kenya will respond to the threat and the ongoing border conflict that has persisted for weeks, posing a risk to the security of Kenyan border areas.

Tense situation

Most residents of Beled-Hawo, a border town, have fled, seeking refuge in areas along the Ethiopian and Kenyan borders.

THREAT TO #KENYA: Somalia national security agency commander in-charge of #Gedo region, Abdirashid Abdinur Janan, has called Kenya authorities to surrender ‘vehicles’ with Somalia marking which he said were used by Jubaland forces and currently inside Kenya.

He said “Kenyan… pic.twitter.com/7YcDZHktri

— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) August 11, 2025

Reports indicate that both sides are mobilising weapons and reinforcements, raising fears of renewed fighting.

The conflict began in mid-last month when the federal government deployed troops from Mogadishu to Beled-Hawo and took control from the Jubaland-aligned district administration.

The ongoing clashes in Beled-Hawo are feared to affect other districts in the region, which are already facing a dire humanitarian situation affecting thousands of displaced people in various parts of Gedo.

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Abdirashid Janan Forces Seize Beled-Hawo Amid Deadly Clashes with Jubaland

Kaab TV News Editor — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 06:34:28 +0000

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.

Abdirashid Abdinuur Janan is a former district commissioner of Doolow and previously served as Jubaland’s Security Minister before falling out with the regional administration.

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.

The violence also triggered mass displacement, with hundreds of families fleeing the town under heavy shelling and gunfire.

“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.

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Civilians Killed as Fighting Resumes in Kenya-Somalia Border Town of Beled Hawo

Kaab TV News Editor — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 17:25:55 +0000

MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – At least two civilians were killed and several others wounded on Friday when intense fighting resumed in the southern Somali town of Beled Hawo, Gedo region, amid growing tensions between federal forces and Jubaland regional troops.

The victims were killed after mortar shells struck residential homes, according to a statement by the Jubaland administration, which blamed the attack on federal troops stationed at the UK military camp on the town’s outskirts.

The renewed clashes come just days after a previous confrontation on Tuesday between Jubaland forces and federal troops brought in from Mogadishu.

Friday’s escalation began after the Somali Federal Government deployed additional Haramcad (Cheetah) special forces—trained by Turkey.

Eyewitnesses told Kaab TV that Jubaland forces, who currently control the town, launched an offensive and surrounded the newly deployed federal troops.

Residents reported the use of heavy artillery and mortar fire, with some shells landing inside the town, causing panic and further displacement of civilians.

One of today’s casualties was a young man named Salim, who was killed after a mortar shell hit their house in the city.

One of the casualties was a young man named Salim, who was killed after a mortar shell hit their house in the city.

Since Sunday, hundreds of families have fled Beled Hawo in fear of escalating violence.

In a strongly worded statement, the Jubaland administration condemned what it called “a barbaric mortar attack” that killed civilians in their homes.

The statement accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of ordering federal forces to carry out “massacres and displacement of civilians.”

Abdirashid Abdinuur Janan, who recently took charge as the head of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), is leading the federal forces in Beled Hawo.

He denied initiating the attack, accusing Jubaland of launching the assault and insisting that his troops acted in self-defense.

“We were attacked by anti-peace militias,” said Janan, adding that he and his troops remain stationed at the UK base.

He also blamed Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe for ordering the offensive.

Tensions rise across Gedo

The clashes mark a sharp escalation in the ongoing standoff between the Somali Federal Government and Jubaland.

Armed reinforcements and militia mobilizations have been reported in other parts of the Gedo region, raising fears of broader conflict.

Local communities have voiced deep concern about the possibility of fighting spreading to nearby areas, which could lead to more civilian casualties and displacement.

In response to the violence, youth sports groups in Beled Hawo released a peace appeal, urging all parties to cease hostilities.

They offered condolences to the families of those killed and injured and warned that continued shelling is endangering innocent lives.

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