Hiiraan Online

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is warmly received by Jubbaland leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe” upon arrival in Kismayo on Sunday.

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived Sunday in Kismayo, the seat of Jubbaland State, for high-level talks, hoping to restore cooperation and trust between the federal government and the regional administration after years of political rift and intermittent conflict.

The visit marks the president’s first to Kismayo since relations soured and an attempt to reset ties with Jubbaland leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe.” Officials say the two leaders will discuss ways to rebuild collaboration, reduce inflammatory rhetoric, and lay the groundwork for renewed dialogue.

Relations between Mogadishu and Kismayo have been fraught since 2019, when disputes over electoral management, local autonomy, and security control escalated into political standoffs and, at times, armed clashes. 

Tensions between Villa Somalia and Kismayo deepened in late 2024, when Mogadishu declared Jubbaland’s regional elections invalid. The decision set off a dramatic standoff and descended into legal brinkmanship, as rival courts in the two capitals issued arrest warrants in a rare show of open defiance.

The conflict undermined coordination on national priorities and delayed development efforts across southern Somalia.

Federal government officials said the talks are expected to produce a framework for cooperation on security, federalism, and regional development.

Security in Kismayo was heightened Sunday as troops patrolled major roads and checkpoints ahead of the president’s arrival. Two aircraft carrying additional federal forces were dispatched Saturday to secure key routes and government facilities.

The trip is viewed by many as a critical test of the president’s state-reconciliation agenda, which seeks to resolve lingering disputes with federal member states and strengthen coordination in the fight against Al-Shabaab. A breakthrough in Kismayo could set a precedent for improved relations across Somalia’s federal system, where mistrust has long undermined national cohesion.