The situation in Kudhaa highlights ongoing complexities in Somalia’s security transition as African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) forces gradually withdraw.
Following the recent withdrawal of Kenyan forces, Jubbaland troops have reportedly taken control of the military base in Kudhaa, Lower Jubba.
This development underscores Jubbaland’s assertion of authority over its territory, consistent with its semi-autonomous status.
The controversy escalated when Jubbaland’s Information Minister, Abdifatah Mohamed Mukhtar, refuted claims by the Somali federal government that it had deployed federal troops to Ras Kamboni to fill the gap left by ATMIS forces.
Mukhtar dismissed this as a “misleading narrative,” emphasizing that no federal forces had been sent to the area.
This disagreement reflects ongoing tensions between Somalia’s federal government and its member states over security responsibilities and the broader decentralization of authority.
It also raises questions about coordination in the security sector amid ATMIS’s drawdown and the planned transition to Somali-led security arrangements.
The situation requires careful management to avoid undermining the progress made in stabilizing Somalia.