BELEDHAAWO (KAAB TV) – Intense fighting has broken out in the town of Beledhaawo, located in Somalia’s Gedo region, as long-standing tensions between the Federal Government and the Jubbaland Administration escalate into open conflict.
Eyewitnesses on the ground have reported heavy gunfire, confirming ongoing clashes between forces loyal to the Federal Government and those aligned with the Jubbaland regional authority. The situation remains fluid, and reports suggest that the violence has spread to several parts of the town.
The governor of Gedo region, representing the Jubbaland Administration, confirmed the outbreak of hostilities, describing the situation as “a full-scale confrontation.” The renewed fighting comes in the wake of a controversial arrival: helicopters carrying Abdirashid Janan landed in Beledhaawo shortly before the violence erupted.
Abdirashid Janan, a key figure in the Jubbaland political and security landscape, was recently appointed as the head of the National Security and Intelligence Agency (NISA) for the Gedo region. His arrival appears to have further fueled the already volatile relationship between the Federal Government in Mogadishu and the semi-autonomous Jubbaland authorities.
This latest round of conflict underscores the fragile nature of political and security arrangements in southern Somalia. Gedo region, and particularly the town of Beledhaawo, has once again become a flashpoint in the ongoing power struggle between federal and regional authorities—a dispute that has repeatedly undermined efforts toward national reconciliation and stability.
No casualty figures have been independently confirmed as of now, and both sides continue to trade blame for initiating the conflict. Residents remain trapped amid the fighting, raising concerns about a worsening humanitarian situation.
Further developments are expected as both sides mobilize reinforcements and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate remain absent.