MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – In the wake of escalating tensions over Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe’s contentious third-term re-election, Somalia’s federal government has enacted a sweeping economic blockade on the region, plunging Kismayo into hardship and driving unprecedented food price surges and inflation, Caasimada Online news website reported on Thursday.
Mogadishu has withheld millions of dollars in budget support previously provided to the Jubaland administration, seeking to punish the regional leader for his unwavering insistence on an indirect election that propelled him to power once again last month.
Mogadishu has also halted Khat flights to Kismayo—once a significant revenue source for Jubaland through taxes—along with direct passenger flights to the southern Somali coastal town, a move widely seen as an attempt to exacerbate conditions for Ahmed Madobe, who is believed to have amassed substantial wealth during his decade-long tenure in office.
The measures have triggered a surge in food prices and inflation, crippling the day-to-day operations of the regional government and hindering its ability to cover running costs, though it remains uncertain whether they will compel Madobe to concede to federal government demands and step down.
