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Somalia: Federal Court issues arrest warrant for Juba President


Agenzia Nova
Wednesday November 27, 2024

The Court of Benadir, a region of the Somali capital Mogadishu, has issued an arrest warrant against the president of the Jubail regional state, Ahmed Islam Mohammed, known as “Madobe”. In a statement, prosecutors accuse him of treason against the state and conspiracy with foreign governments. Specifically, the regional leader is held responsible for “committing acts against the unity of the Somali nationality and acting against the sharing of information with a foreign country, with war aims against the Somali nation, as well as committing acts against the system and the constitution of the country”. The arrest warrant is part of growing tensions between the government of Mogadishu and the authorities of the Juba region, after regional president Madobe secured a third term in a controversial indirect election, strongly opposed by Mogadishu. Against the position of the regional leader, the president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, remains firm in his commitment to holding elections with the single vote system at the national level.

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Following the disputed election in the Juba region, yesterday the federal government in Mogadishu mobilized its troops to take control of the region and sent seven planes loaded with troops, including Turkish-trained special police and military units known as Haram'ad and Gorgor, to the town of Ras Kamboni – known as Cape Chiambone since it passed from a British Kenyan colony to the Kingdom of Italy in 1924. A move to which Madobe responded by mobilizing his regional troops, also positioned in Ras Kambooni. The commander of the 18th division of the Somali army, Hassan Iraqi, quoted by the local news site “Caasimada online”, said that the ongoing military maneuvers are focused on capturing operational bases intended to be abandoned by Kenyan troops by the end of the year, at the end of their mandate as part of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission. (Atmis). According to press sources, the federal government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud It is also preparing to deploy additional troops to the Gedo region, particularly in Ras Kamboni and El Wak, on the border with Kenya.

In the last few hours, the Federal Parliament of Somalia has approved the establishment of the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission, a constitutional body aimed at ensuring transparent and credible electoral processes throughout the country. The Speaker of the Parliament, Adan Mohamed Noor, announced that 169 members voted in favor, while six MPs opposed. The new body, Sonna news agency reported, will be tasked with overseeing elections at all levels of government, playing a key role in Somalia’s ongoing efforts to introduce a “One Person, One Vote” electoral system across the country. The commission will consist of 18 members with extensive experience in democratic governance. Voting was briefly interrupted when opposition MPs from Juba – who strongly oppose the creation of the commission – staged a protest that interrupted the session for several minutes, claiming that parliament did not have the necessary quorum to approve the commission.

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