By ABDULKADIR KHALIF Special Corespondent

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has disowned two politicians claiming to have been elected as presidents of Jubaland State of Somalia, in southern Somalia.

Jubaland state is supposed to unite Lower Juba, Middle Juba and Gedo regions. Ahmed Mohamed Islam alias Ahmed Madobe claimed to have been elected by clan elders and politicians in the port town as president of Jubaland.

On the same day, another well-known politician in the Jubaland territory, Barre Aden Shire alias Barre Hirale, also claimed the authority’s presidency.

Mr Shire was one time the ruler of Kismayu before he was evicted by Islamists in 2009.

A statement by the Somali PM’s Office on Thursday stated, that the Somali government was shocked by the misleading messages disseminated to the public in Juba.

The dispatch reads: “We are dismayed that two individuals have simultaneously claimed to have been elected presidents on May 15.”

The statement drew the attention of the parties, especially in Jubaland, to the provisions of the Provisional Federal Constitution, that outline the manner of forming the constituent states of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

“Article 49 of the Provisional Federal Constitution explains the smooth way of forming a constituent state,” reads the government statement.

Security may deteriorate

Earlier Thursday, Interior Affairs and National Security Minister Abdikarim Hussein Guled warned that security may deteriorate in Kismayu if the two self-appointed men continued their push for power.

“Any internal power struggle will undermine the fighting against Al Shabaab (the Al-Qaeda linked radical Islamist group that still control large swathes of the Juba regions),” remarked Mr Guled.

The security of Kismayu is mainly taken care of by troops from Kenya and Sierra Leone, operating under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).

Meanwhile, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud received in his office in Mogadishu the ambassador of South Korea on Thursday.

Deputy Foreign minister, Jamal Barrow told the media after the meeting: “South Korea appointed Kim Chan-Woo as ambassador after a diplomatic absence of over two decades.”

Mr Kim stated that Korea had a history of civil war of its own and knew how to assist war-ravaged countries like Somalia.

Source: East African