Jubaland has begun mobilizing and registering Darawish forces near Beled Hawo following a deal between President Ahmed Madobe and former Gedo security commander Abdirashid Janan.
BELED HAWO, Somalia (Somali Report) — Jubaland authorities began registering Darawish forces currently stationed on the outskirts of Beled Hawo in Somalia’s southern Gedo region, in a move aimed at establishing an official database of security personnel operating under the regional administration.
The registration process involves collecting personal and service-related information from the troops, with the data expected to be stored at the Jubaland government’s data centre. Officials say the system is intended to create a unified record of forces deployed across different parts of the federal member state.
The move comes at a sensitive time for Gedo, where political and security tensions have persisted for years amid disputes between Jubaland and Somalia’s federal government over control of the region.
Jubaland, led by President Ahmed Madobe, has in recent months sought to strengthen its security structures and improve coordination among forces operating under its authority.
The registration of troops near Beled Hawo is expected to give the administration a clearer picture of the number, deployment and locations of its forces, potentially helping with security planning and the allocation of resources.
The initiative also follows a recent agreement between Madobe and Abdirashid Janan, a former NISA commander in Gedo who has played a prominent role in the region’s political and security affairs.
Janan, who previously served as Jubaland's security minister and later became involved in a dispute with the federal government, has been a key figure in the political tensions surrounding Gedo.
The agreement between Janan and Madobe has been viewed as a potential step towards easing tensions in the region and establishing a new framework for managing security and armed forces.
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The latest registration drive could form part of that broader effort by Jubaland to reorganise its security forces and bring personnel operating in contested areas into a formal administrative structure.
Beled Hawo, a strategically important town near Somalia’s border with Kenya, has repeatedly been at the centre of political and security disputes involving Jubaland and the federal government.
Gedo has also experienced armed confrontations and political competition involving forces aligned with different authorities, making control over security institutions a particularly sensitive issue.
Jubaland has maintained that it has a constitutional role in administering security within its territory, while the federal government in Mogadishu has sought greater federal control over national security institutions and forces.
The registration comes as relations between Jubaland and the federal government remain strained over broader political issues, including Somalia’s electoral process and proposed constitutional changes.
It remains unclear how many Darawish personnel will be registered in the initial phase or whether the exercise will eventually cover all Jubaland forces across Gedo and other regions.
For Jubaland, however, the creation of a centralised security database represents an effort to formalise its military structures while improving oversight of troops deployed across the territory under its administration.
The development will likely be closely watched by Mogadishu as the federal government and Jubaland continue to disagree over security authority, political representation and the future administration of Gedo.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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