Ahmed Madobe Elected President of Jubaland State

Kismayu May 15 2013 (SDN) —The election of Jubaland’s “president”–a common title among regional heads in Somalia has been concluded to day in Kismayo. Reliable sources within the Jubaland state formation conference in Kismayo has confirmed to us that Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam, better known as Ahmed Madobe was elected as the president of Jubaland state. The election of Ahmed Madobe as the first president of Jubaland state is a significant comeback for the man who governed Kismayo with the ICU in 2006. Election of Jubaland’s first president has begun earlier today and the reliable sources confirmed to us that Ahmed Madobe, the leader of Raskamboni faction won a landslide victory. Sheikh Ahmed Madobe–who was formerly in the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and later in other militia groups aligned with al-Shabaab–has been attempting to regain his status in Jubaland after suffering defeat at the hands of his old allies in 2009. Jubaland historically comprised of Lower and Middle Juba states.  But military dictatator and ex-President Siad Barre split up the region in 1975, adding Gedo, Bay, and Bakool states. The region has seen decades of conflict due to controversial clan resettlements inter-clan fighting, warlordism, Islamic militancy, and fighting over control of lucrative areas like Kismayo port.

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