Jubaland in southern Somalia is emerging as the success story in the African Union’s effort to pacify the country that has been experiencing conflict for 25 years.

The region, with its capital in the coastal town of Kismayu, has seen a rare success in reintegration into the society of former militias who are working closely with African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) to neutralise Al Shabaab militants.

Kismayu is free from the security threats that are experienced in Mogadishu even though Al Shabaab is still perched just away across Juba River in Middle Juba region as leaders continue debating the complete elimination of the militants from Jubaland.

Residents go about their business as if oblivious of the Al Shabaab threat with the local administration embarking on building of roads and schools since Amisom liberated Kismayu from Al Shabaab in October 2012.

But Jubaland administration president Ahmed Mohamed Islam, commonly known as Sheikh Madobe, is becoming increasingly impatient and wants an all-out war against Al Shabaab while Amisom is pushing for gradual elimination given that the African Union force lacks sufficient troops and airpower for the final showdown.

In an exclusive interview with The EastAfrican in Kismayu, Sheikh Madobe expressed concern that Amisom under the direction of the international community is too cautious in its approach to Al Shabaab while the Somali National Army (SNA) is too small to secure the liberated areas.

Crucial bridges

“If given the go ahead, I would move to liberate the four crucial bridges under the control of Al Shabaab that still remain their strength in the region. But the lack of a strong and effective national army is one of the major challenges,” said Sheikh Madobe, the former commander of the Ras Kamboni militia that has since been transformed into the Jubaland police and paramilitary.

The president is often driven in a convoy of Amisom armoured vehicles and tanks, showing a close collaboration between the Kenyan contingent — Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) — that make up the Amisom force in Sector 2. He believes in the strengthening of SNA regional administration while the mandate of Amisom cover lasts.

“Amisom will one day go but the people of Somalia must learn to take care of their own security. It is encouraging that after 25 years of conflict, the people of Jubaland are gaining confidence and are ready to take care of their own destiny by taking the lead in getting rid of Al Shabaab,” said Sheikh Madobe.

The biggest challenge though, according to KDF sources The EastAfrican spoke to, is that the Al Shabaab around the Juba River have meshed into the local population and are not in specific camps, which makes it difficult to bomb the areas they control without mass casualties among innocent civilians.

The Jubaland administration state consists of Gedo, Middle Juba and Lower Juba and enjoys the backing of the international community as a model of bringing lasting peace and stability to the wider Somalia.

Mohammed Affey, the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (Igad) special envoy to Somalia told The EastAfrican that Jubaland now getting greater acceptance by the Somalia Federal Government and the international partners as it is proving to be a role model of an effort to establish regional federal units as per the Somalia interim constitution.

“Jubaland was established to foster inter-clan reconciliation, establish a regional administration and integrate militias into a formal force capable of fighting Al Shabaab. So far, we have not seen any attack in Jubaland although many attempt have been thwarted,” he said.

Jubaland is geopolitically and economically strategic to the Somalia Federal Government, the Al Shabaab and the neighbouring countries of Kenya and Ethiopia because of possible gas and oil deposits, the strategic Kismayu port, its fertile agricultural land and its charcoal industry.
KDF has been often accused by United Nations investigators of engaging in the lucrative charcoal trade but Sheikh Madobe said the issue was a problem before the local administration was established but the trade has since been stamped out.

The EastAfrican toured the previous charcoal camps in Kismayu that have since been cleared, though traces of the previously booming trade remains. Locals said that pressure by the international community forced those dealing in charcoal to move out of Kismayu into the interior, especially in the Al Shabaab-held territories.

Confidence of the youth

Currently, the Jubaland administration is busy trying to gain the confidence of the youth through vocational training to prevent them from being influenced by the Al Shabaab ideology. KDF is stationed in strategic arrears with its main base at the Kismayu International Airport.

Abdirashid Ali Gooni, the governor of Lower Juba region where Kismayu is located says that since the inauguration of the Jubaland administration three years ago, there has seen a huge change in the community in terms of security, education, health, road and transport infrastructure.

Mr Gooni is however concerned that Al Shabaab is still trying to isolate the people of Jubaland through ideology.

He gave the example of Badade town that was liberated three year ago but the recaptured by Al Shabaab have recaptured the town because SNA is still too weak to maintain liberated areas.

He said the Jubaland administration is well aware that Al Shabaab has never given up on their objective of recapturing Kismayu for the purpose of controlling the lucrative port, which is a key gateway to the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Kenya had backed a strong Jubaland administration is the hope that it would provide a buffer zone against Al Shabaab, which has been infiltrating its north-eastern region.

Mogadishu initially perceived Kenya’s support for the Jubaland administration as an attempt to encourage session on the Somaliland and Puntland, but Sheikh Madobe has since struck up working.

Source: The East African

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.