Jubaland President Ahmed Madoobe has demonstrated the tactical and operational superiority of his forces but nevertheless humiliated Hassan Sheikh, and embarrassed Mogadishu.
The claims that Madoobe colluded with Al-Shabaab are absurd, have no basis in reality, and were designed to make the stinging defeat of the Somali National Army unit Gor Gor in Ras Kamboni palatable.
Six hundred Gor Gor special troops trained by Turkish, fled, surrendered, and left their equipment behind.
No doubt Madoobe’s political hand is now stronger. But he must play that hand wisely by rebuilding cohesion in Jubaland, reaching out to all tribal and political forces to agree on a political roadmap, and being amenable to re-engagement with federal institutions.
The loser Hassan Sheikh has hopefully learned lessons and will resist temptation to try another useless military adventure in Jubaland or elsewhere to oust regional leaders.
He needs to accept the reality that Ahmed Madoobe is going nowhere and it is not really his place to dictate who should be Jubaland’s ruler or interfere in its electoral cycles.
He will need to abandon his unworkable electoral plans and constitutional gerrymandering if he wants to bring back Puntland and Jubaland to the National Council of Committee and put the country back on course towards a negotiated and consensual political settlement.
By Rashid Abdi
This is an opinion article and mainly reflects the author’s opinion.