MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s government has sharply condemned Ethiopia’s military for launching a deadly assault on three Somali military headquarters in the border town of Dolow on Monday. The attack, which left multiple Somali soldiers dead and wounded, was denounced as a blatant violation of the recently brokered Ankara agreement between the two nations.
The violence erupted early on Monday, when fierce clashes broke out in Dolow between federal government forces and Jubaland troops, backed by Ethiopian soldiers stationed in the town. The fighting led to the disarmament of forces loyal to Mogadishu, the capture of several prisoners of war—including the regional intelligence chief—and at least six fatalities.
The confrontation was sparked by the arrival of a plane carrying a new governor appointed by Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe, a move opposed by federal government forces. In response, Mogadishu’s troops fired on the airport, igniting a fierce gunbattle with Jubaland forces, which was soon joined by Ethiopian troops supporting Madobe’s side.
Dolow has long been under the governance of District Commissioner Mohamed Hussein Abdi Lafey, a staunch ally of both the Jubaland administration and the Ethiopian forces stationed in the region. This violent episode represents the first significant challenge to the recent Turkish-mediated agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia, aimed at resolving a year-long dispute over Ethiopia’s sea access deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland. Central to the agreement was a commitment by both nations to uphold each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity.
On the same day, the Somali federal government lost control of Kulbiyow in the Lower Juba region to Jubaland forces, with Mogadishu-loyal troops retreating to a Kenyan military base after at least six were killed in brutal fighting. This marks the second town lost in a single day, and the third overall, following the recent fall of Raskamboni.
The federal government now faces a severe setback in its campaign against Jubaland leader Ahmed Madobe, whose re-election last month was deemed unconstitutional by Mogadishu. Despite pouring millions of dollars into efforts to destabilize his forces, the Somali government’s attempts to remove Madobe have, thus far, proven futile.
