Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre yestarday has visited Raskamboni, a town in the Lower Jubba region, in a move that could escalate tensions with President Ahmed Madobe of Jubaland, a regional state in Somalia, and he meet with with Elders and Hundreds of Officers and Military personnel recently deployed and stationed in the town…
Reliable sources say Barre, in military uniform, plans has visited in person to boost the troops’ morale, despite having only three days left in President Madobe’s 15-day deadline for troop withdrawal from his region, Raskamboni is seen as a key hub for the central government to prepare its military strategies against Madobe, who secured re-election for the third time last month.
The central government rejected Madobe’s re-election, accusing him of defying the new one-person, one-vote election system while deploying its own troops to arrest him, Heavily armed soldiers from Jubaland reportedly established defensive positions about 60-KM from Raskamboni to prevent any troops from advancing toward the presidential compound in Kismayo.
Despite calls to avoid bloodshed, political analysts say that if the central government and Jubaland authorities fail to resolve their differences through dialogue, the current standoff could escalate into full-blown conflict.
