Fighting between the Somali National Army (SNA) and a semi-autonomous Juabaland regional forces erupted on Wednesday as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.
Following the fighting, hundreds of Somalia’s federal forces reportedly surrendered when Jubaland combatants controlled Raskaboni, Reuters reported.
A post circulated on X indicates that hundreds of Somali soldiers “laid down their arms and sought refuge at Kenya’s Ishakani border point.”
The #Kenyan Counter Terrorism Police Department @CTP_Kenya deleted this post [pictured], which they posted today. The post read:
— M.M. Dhoore (@dhoorebbc) December 11, 2024
“SNA SOLDIERS SURRENDER AT THE KENYA BORDER
Hundreds of soldiers from the Somalia National Army (SNA) laid down their arms and sought refuge at… pic.twitter.com/7Wh8D0SBQm
Earlier this morning, Somali’s Ministry of Defense said “Ahmed Madobe’s faction unlawfully attacked Somali National Army and Jubaland Darwish forces in Lower Jubba,” the state-affiliated SNTV reported.
“These treasonous actions, tied to collusion with Khawarij, will face severe legal consequences by Ministry of Defence.”
Late Wednesday, Somali President Mohamud was welcomed at the Presidential Palace by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara to “pave the way for the third round of talks between Ethiopia and Somalia”, SNTV reported in a post on X.
Similarly, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on late Wednesday arrived in Ankara and was later welcomed at the Presidential Palace by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa.
The leaders of the two nations are expected to meet face-to-face tonight in a talk mediated by Turkish President Erdoğan to resolve a year-long dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia.
The dispute between the two neighborly nations occurred in January when Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the former President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi in Addis Ababa to access from and to the sea of Somaliland and to lease a 20km parts of its coastline for 50 years to build a naval base.
Somalia views the MoU as an act of “aggression” and denounces the deal as a “violation of Somalia’s sovereignty”.
Recently, Somalia also disputed with its semi-autonomous region, Jubalnad following Ahmed Mohamed Islam commonly known as Madobe was re-elected for a third term as president of the southern state of Jubaland on November 25, 2024, which is not recognized by the federal government of Somalia.
Banadir Regional Court in Mogadishu immediately arrested Madobe, accusing him of treason and revealing classified information to foreign entities.
In response, the cabinet ministers of the State of Jubaland in Kismayo derecognized the Federal Government of Somalia in Mogadishu on November 28, 2024.
On December 5, 2024, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that confrontations between a semi-autonomous Jubaland and the Somali Federal Government pose a high risk of further internal violence and a proxy conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia.
ISW’s research report indicated that Somalia deployed additional troops to Raskamboni near the border with Kenya, on November 25 which led to an exchange of gunfire between Jubbaland and Somalia.
