The Government of Jubbaland State of Somalia and its peace-loving people strongly denounce the violence which anti peace elements along with Al-Shabab sympathizers mounted yesterday night resulting in the death of more than 36 civilians. This violence, the first since Kismayo liberated from Al-Shabab terrorists almost a year ago, is without a doubt encouraged and financed by the Government of Mogadishu.
We have in the past repeatedly asked both through private and public channels the government in Mogadishu to respect the constitution of the Federal Somali Government (FSG), exercise restraint, and stop destabilizing our new administration which was established in a manner that is consistent with explicit provisions in the constitution. But all our peaceful efforts have so far fall on deaf ears.
Instead of working with us, Mogadishu rather chose a dangerous course of confrontation and a renewed conflict to the detriment of the country in general and the Jubbaland state in particular.
We regret that the Jubbaland administration’s effort towards normalization of the precarious peace in Southern Somalia and our focused and determined effort to defeat Al-Shabab are now being undermined by design.
The Jubbalnd administration repeatedly warned the Mogadishu based government to desist from its campaign to destabilize our nascent administration. We also publicly expressed that there is no way the people of Jubbaland would go back to the days when Al-Shabab terrorists over-lorded them, and the liberation of our land is final and non-negotiable no matter what Mogadishu does.
If Mogadishu does not restrain itself and it continues its deliberate policy of destabilizing the Jubbaland administration, we have no other option but to fight at two fronts: one with Al-Shabab and another one with the anti-peace forces aided and abated by the government in Mogadishu.
Make no mistake that our people are determined to go at any length to foster peace and cooperation with Mogadishu short of giving up our Good-given rights to run our affairs and live peacefully in our own region.
We urge those who take up the guns to come to the table, resolve any real or imagined grievance through a peaceful means, and achieve all that by respecting law and order. We also ask the government in Mogadishu to stop its unbridled interference and policy of destabilization of our administration.
Abdinasser Serar,
Jubbaland State Spokesman
