Kismayo (WDN) – The Jubaland regional administration has accused Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of escalating tensions in the Gedo region in a manner that could ignite long-term conflict with serious implications for the stability of the Horn of Africa.

In an official statement released on Thursday following a cabinet meeting chaired by President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe), the Jubaland presidency said the federal government was fueling unrest along the Somali-Kenyan border through what it described as “deliberate provocations” by President Hassan Sheikh’s administration.

“The Council of Ministers focused on the deteriorating security situation in Gedo, particularly the unrest being incited by the administration of the accused Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,” the statement read. “The objective appears to be the deliberate creation of long-standing conflicts in the border areas of Gedo, with potentially widespread repercussions for peace and security across the entire Horn of Africa.”

Jubaland’s Ministry of Security briefed the council on what it called “dangerous developments” in the region, warning that the federal government’s recent actions could extend instability into neighboring countries. The ministry claimed that the government in Mogadishu is pursuing a strategy that threatens regional stability and could provoke consequences detrimental to the Somali people and the broader region.

The accusation follows the movement earlier in the day of hundreds of heavily armed Jubaland troops toward the strategic border town of Beled-Hawo (Beledxaawo) in Gedo region. The area is currently under the control of forces loyal to former regional security chief Abdirashid Janan, now aligned with the Federal Government of Somalia.

Tensions in Gedo have long strained relations between the federal government and Jubaland, with competing security forces and administrative claims turning the region into a recurring flashpoint. Analysts who talked with WardheerNews, warn that a renewed outbreak of armed confrontation in the area could not only derail fragile national reconciliation efforts but also draw in neighboring countries, further complicating the already volatile security landscape in the Horn of Africa.

WardheerNews