MOGADISHU, (HAN) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that the Jubbaland administration has agreed to engage in dialogue, stressing that there are no obstacles preventing reconciliation between the two sides.
The President’s remarks come at a time when Somalia’s political memory is still fresh with the controversial decision issued in November last year by the Kismayo First Instance Court, which ordered the arrest of President Mohamud.
The warrant, which has not been formally withdrawn by the Jubbaland judiciary, raised serious questions about the gap between reconciliation rhetoric and unresolved legal disputes.
President Mohamud’s statement is widely seen as a gesture of goodwill from Villa Somalia, signaling a push to reset relations with Jubbaland after years of political rifts that have undermined Somalia’s state-building process.
Analysts say the remarks reflect an attempt to create a new framework for cooperation with Jubbaland, whose strained ties with the central government have often slowed national reconciliation efforts.
The political standoff between Mogadishu and Jubbaland has in the past triggered institutional deadlock, weakened the country’s federal system, and raised tensions in the Horn of Africa nation. By downplaying the legal challenges and emphasizing dialogue, President Mohamud appears to be laying the groundwork for a more cooperative era between the federal government and regional states.
However, the lingering arrest warrant continues to cast a shadow over the reconciliation process, leaving observers cautious about whether words will translate into action.
