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ATMIS denies involvement in Jubbaland electoral process, calls for peaceful solution


Sunday November 24, 2024

Mogadishu (HOL) — The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has denied reports claiming its police component is involved in organizing elections in Jubbaland State. 

In a statement released Sunday, the outgoing African Union mission reiterated its commitment to neutrality and called for constructive dialogue between Somalia's Federal Government and Jubbaland authorities to resolve electoral disputes peacefully. 

"ATMIS will continue to implement its mandate in full support of Somalia's state-building process, including efforts to transition to one-person, one-vote elections through an inclusive and participatory process," the statement reads.

The denial comes amid heightened tensions in Kismayo, where a gunfight erupted Saturday between Jubbaland police and security guards for Senator Ilyas Baddel Gabose, a presidential candidate. The clash, which occurred outside the AGAN Hotel where opposition politicians were meeting, left one security officer dead and two others injured. 

The confrontation reportedly began when Jubbaland police blocked Senator Gabose's vehicle from entering the hotel, sparking an exchange of gunfire. 

Somali Prime Minister Hamse Abdi Barre recently declared Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe ineligible for re-election, citing constitutional term limits. Barre criticized the ongoing electoral process as illegitimate, accusing Madobe of prioritizing personal ambitions over Somalia's national unity. 

Relations between Jubbaland and the federal government have deteriorated further following Madobe's withdrawal from a National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting in Mogadishu. Madobe, aligning with Puntland, demanded broader regional inclusion in electoral discussions. 



 





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