Somalia: President Ahmed Madobe Explains Why His Forces Attacked Federal Troops in Raaskambooni

The President of Jubbaland State, Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe, has, for the first time, provided details about the attack carried out by his regional Darawiish forces on military positions established by the Federal Government forces in Raaskambooni.

Ahmed Madobe accused the Federal Government of deliberately dismantling the Jubbaland Darawiish forces, which, he claimed, left a vast territory unguarded and created fears that the militant group Al-Shabaab might seize control of the area.

Madobe has also accused the Federal Government of Somalia of overstepping legal and constitutional boundaries under which it was elected, and of dismantling everything that Somalis had agreed upon.

The Jubbaland President stated that he personally ordered the deployment of troops to Raaskambooni, expressing regret over the bloodshed that resulted from the clashes.

He further alleged that before making this decision, his forces had come under pressure due to financial incentives used to divide them.

“The reason we went to Raaskambooni was that the Darawiish forces were withdrawn, leaving a large area unprotected. There was a real fear that Al-Shabaab might take over, so I ordered troops to be sent,” President Ahmed Madobe explained.

The Federal Government of Somalia had previously accused Ahmed Madobe of orchestrating the attack in Raaskambooni, leading to a bitter exchange of blame between the two sides over the responsibility for the violence.

President Ahmed Madobe made these remarks during an interview with journalist Abdijalil Show.