For too long, Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe” has ruled Jubaland like a personal estate rather than a regional state. His mandate expired two years ago, yet he clings to power as if Jubaland belongs to him and not to the Somali people. While four federal presidents have come and gone through the ballot box, Madobe remains in Kismayo, cementing his 15-year grip through repression, tribalism, and foreign sponsorship. His time is over — and Somalia must face this truth.
Madobe’s rise came not from legitimacy but from Kenya’s illegal intervention in 2013. Since then, he has delivered nothing tangible for the people of Jubaland. No schools, no hospitals, no infrastructure — only endless divisions and suffering. Instead of building, he has destroyed. He has presided over gross human rights violations against Somali citizens of different clans, turning Kismayo into a stronghold of fear rather than a capital of progress.
Even the environment has not been spared. Under Madobe’s watch, Jubaland’s forests have been torched for charcoal, exported illegally to fund his private interests in Nairobi and the UAE. This reckless destruction has deepened Somalia’s climate catastrophe, contributing to harsher droughts and environmental collapse. What kind of leader profits from destroying his own people’s land?
The truth is, Madobe does not behave as a Somali leader but as a foreign agent. He takes orders from Nairobi and Abu Dhabi, using his militia not to defend Jubaland but to destabilize the federal government. His latest act of aggression — waging war against the Somali National Army in Balad-Hawo with Kenyan backing — is nothing less than treason. It shows clearly that his loyalty is not to Somalia but to foreign sponsors who benefit from division.
The consequences of Madobe’s actions are devastating:
National Unity Eroded: By refusing to respect the federal system, he has weakened trust between Mogadishu and the regions. Development Stalled: Jubaland remains one of the least developed regions, its people trapped in poverty while their so-called president invests abroad. Future Darkened: By aligning with foreign powers and fueling clan wars, he is dragging Somalia backward into the shadows of warlordism.
But the Somali people are not blind. Across Jubaland and the wider nation, voices are growing louder: enough is enough. The era of warlords is finished. The Somali people want unity, democracy, and development — not foreign-sponsored agents clinging to expired mandates.
Ahmed Madobe’s chapter is over. Somalia cannot afford to be held hostage by individuals who thrive on division and destruction. If Somalia is to move forward in 2025 and beyond, it must leave warlords in the past and reclaim its unity, sovereignty, and dignity.
