Jubaland ( so, Jubbaland, ar, , it, Oltregiuba), the Juba Valley ( so, Dooxada Jubba) or Azania ( so, Asaaniya, ar, ), is a
Federal Member State in southern
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
. Its eastern border lies east of the
Jubba River, stretching from
Gedo to the Indian Ocean, while its western side flanks the
North Eastern Province in
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, which was carved out of Jubaland during the
colonial period.
Jubaland has a total area of . As of 2005, it had a total population of 953,045 inhabitants.
The territory consists of the
Gedo,
Lower Juba and
Middle Juba provinces. Its largest city is
Kismayo, which is situated on the coast near the mouth of the Jubba River.
Bardera,
Afmadow
Afmadow ( so, Afmadoow) is a city in southern Somalia, located in the middle of the Juba region and bordered by Kenya, Badhadhe, Kismayo, Jamame, Jilib, Hagar, Bardhere and Elwaq in Somalia, 401 km southwest of the capital Mogadishu. It is h ...
,
Bu'aale,
Luuq, Garbahareey and
Beled Haawo are the region's other principal cities.
During the Middle Ages, the influential Somali
Ajuran Sultanate held sway over the territory, followed in turn by the
Geledi Sultanate. They were later incorporated into
British East Africa. In 1925, Jubaland was ceded to Italy, forming a part of
Italian Somaliland. On 1 July 1960, the region, along with the rest of Italian Somaliland and
British Somaliland, became part of the independent
Somali Republic.
Jubaland was later the site of numerous battles during the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...
. In late 2006, Islamist militants gained control of most of the region. To reclaim possession of the territory, a new autonomous administration dubbed ''Azania'' was announced in 2010 and formalized the following year. In 2013, the Juba Interim Administration was officially established and recognized. It is now one of the five autonomous administrations in Somalia.
History
During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, the influential Somali
Ajuran Empire held sway over the territory now known as Ajuran, followed in turn by the
Geledi Sultanate during the
early modern period.
[Luling (2002), p.272.]
From 1836 until 1861, parts of Jubaland were nominally claimed by the
Sultanate of Muscat
The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman ( ar, سلطنة مسقط وعمان, Salṭanat Masqaṭ wa-‘Umān), also known briefly as the State of Muscat and Oman () during the rule of Taimur bin Feisal, was a sovereign state that encompassed the prese ...
(now in
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...
).
Colonial period
The
Geledi Sultanate that controlled this entire region later joined the
Italian Somaliland protectorate after the Geledi ruler called
Osman Ahmed signed multiple treaties with the colonial Italians.
Jubaland was subsequently ceded to
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in 1924–25, as a reward for the Italians having joined the Allies in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
,
[ and Hornsby, Kenya: A History Since Independence, 2012, 21.] and had a brief existence as the
Italian colony of
Trans-Juba (''Oltre Giuba'') under governor (16 July 1924 – 31 December 1926)
Corrado Zoli (1877–1951). Italy issued its first
postage stamps for the territory on 29 July 1925, consisting of contemporary Italian stamps
overprinted ''Oltre Giuba'' (Trans-Juba). Britain retained control of the southern half of the partitioned Jubaland territory, which was later called the
Northern Frontier District (NFD).
Britain wanted to give Jubaland to
Fascist Italy
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the ...
in exchange for returning the
Italian Islands of the Aegean to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
, but
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in ...
's government rejected the ''
quid pro quo
Quid pro quo ('what for what' in Latin) is a Latin phrase used in English to mean an exchange of goods or services, in which one transfer is contingent upon the other; "a favor for a favor". Phrases with similar meanings include: "give and take ...
''. After the
Corfu incident, British Prime Minister
Ramsay MacDonald decided to unconditionally cede Jubaland to the
Italian colonial empire. Jubaland was then incorporated into neighboring
Italian Somaliland on 30 June 1926. The boundary with Kenya was settled by the Jubaland Commission and the Jubaland Boundary Commission. The colony had a total area of , and in 1926, a population of 120,000 inhabitants.
1974 resettlement
During the post-independence period, one particularly significant historical event was the series of internal migrations into the Jubba regions by Somalis from other parts of the country.
Between 1974 and 1975, a major drought referred to as the ''Abaartii Dabadheer'' ("The Lingering Drought") occurred in the northern regions of Somalia. The
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, which at the time maintained strategic relations with the
Siad Barre government, airlifted some 90,000 people from the devastated regions of
Hobyo and
Caynaba. New small settlements referred to as ''Danwadaagaha'' ("Collective Settlements") were then created in the
Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba) and
Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba) regions. The transplanted families were also introduced to farming and fishing techniques, a change from their traditional pastoralist lifestyle of livestock herding.
Somali Civil War
By the late 1980s, the
moral authority of Barre's government had collapsed. Many Somalis had become disillusioned with life under military dictatorship. The government became increasingly
totalitarian, and
resistance movement
A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...
s, encouraged by Ethiopia, sprang up across the country, eventually leading to the
Somali Civil War and Barre's ouster.
Following the ensuing breakdown of central authority, General
Mohammed Said Hersi "Morgan", Barre's son-in-law and former Minister of Defense, briefly declared Jubaland independent on 3 September 1998.
[Footnotes to History: G to J]
Footnotes to History Political opponents of General Morgan subsequently united as the
Allied Somali Forces (ASF), seizing control of Kismayo by June of the following year.
[Somalia Assessment, September 1999]
Country Information and Policy Unit, Immigration & Nationality Directorate, Home Office, UK
Led by Colonel
Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale, the ASF administration renamed itself the
Juba Valley Alliance in 2001. On 18 June of that year, an 11-member inter-clan council decided to ally the JVA with the newly forming
Transitional Federal Government.
In 2006, the
Islamic Courts Union (ICU), an
Islamist organization, assumed control of much of Jubaland and other parts of southern Somalia and promptly imposed
Shari'a law. The Transitional Federal Government sought to re-establish its authority, and, with the assistance of
Ethiopian troops
The Ethiopian Ground Forces () is the land service branch of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. It is senior of the two uniformed military branches. It engages in land warfare and combined arms operations, including armored and mechanized o ...
,
African Union peacekeepers and air support by the United States, managed to drive out the rival ICU and solidify its rule.
The
Battle of Ras Kamboni
The Battle of Ras Kamboni was a battle in the Somalia War (2006–2009) fought by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and affiliated militias against Ethiopian and the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces for control of Ras Kamboni (), ...
was taking place on 8 January 2007. Afterwards, the TFG then relocated to
Villa Somalia in the capital from its interim location in
Baidoa. This marked the first time since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 that the federal government controlled most of the country.
[Somalia President, Parliament Speaker dispute over TFG term](_blank)
garoweonline.com (12 January 2011).
Following this defeat, the Islamic Courts Union splintered into several different factions. Some of the more radical elements, including
Al-Shabaab, regrouped to continue their insurgency against the TFG and oppose the
Ethiopian National Defense Force's presence in Somalia. Throughout 2007 and 2008, Al-Shabaab scored military victories, seizing control of key towns and ports in both central and southern Somalia. At the end of 2008, the group had captured
Baidoa but not Mogadishu. By January 2009, Al-Shabaab and other militias had managed to force the Ethiopian troops to retreat, leaving behind an under-equipped
African Union peacekeeping force to assist the Transitional Federal Government's troops.
Revival of the Jubaland administration
On 3 April 2011, it was announced that the new autonomous Jubaland administration would be referred to as ''
Azania'', and would be led by
Mohamed Abdi Mohamed (Gandhi), the former national Minister of Defense, as president.
[Muhumed, Malkhadir M., Associated Press (3 April 2011]
Somalia creates new state, Azania, latest of at least 10 new administrations recently added
. startribune.com[McGregor, Sarah and Omar, Hamsa (4 April 2011]
Businessweek According to President Gandhi, a trained anthropologist and historian, ''Azania'' was selected as the name for the new administration because of its historical importance, as "Azania was a name given to Somalia more than 2,500 years ago and it was given by Egyptian sailors who used to get a lot of food reserves from the Somali Coast
..Its origin is
nArabic word meaning the land of plenty."
[Ibrahim, Abdifitah (4 June 2011]
Azania President Vows To Defeat Al-Shabaab
. Somaliareport.com. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
Following the
Kenyan military entry into Somalia in 2011, President of Somalia
Sharif Ahmed initially expressed reservations about the deployment of Kenyan troops for what a BBC correspondent suggested was his opposition to the notion of Kenya's involvement in the Jubaland initiative.
However, the Somalian and Kenyan governments later jointly issued a communique formally pledging coordinated military, political and diplomatic support for the mission,
[Somalia government supports Kenyan forces' mission](_blank)
. Standardmedia.co.ke (31 October 2011). Retrieved 22 April 2013. and specifying that the operation would officially be Somalia-led.
[Joint Communique – Operation Linda Nchi](_blank)
Mfa.go.ke (31 October 2011). Retrieved 22 April 2013.
The new president of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and his government, declared the formation of Jubaland and its process 'unconstitutional' and urged the process to be delayed until the parliament establishes laws and territorial boundaries of proposed regional states within Federal Somalia. This was rejected by the organisers of the Jubaland conference.
Talks aimed at brokering an agreement between the Ogaden, Marehan and Harti clans as well as many smaller clans, began after
Operation Linda Nchi started in October 2011. (ICG 2013) On 28 February 2013, more than 500 delegates convened in Kismayo to attend the opening of a conference, which would discuss and plan the proposed formation of Jubaland. A 32-strong technical committee chaired by Ma'alin Mohamed Ibrahim, the deputy of the
Raskamboni movement, was established along with several sub-committees whose purpose was to oversee the process. The conference was attended by several high-profile politicians, including Professor Mohamed Abdi Mohamed (Gandhi) and former TFG Prime Minister
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke (; so, Cumar Cabdirashiid Cali Sharmaarke, ar, عمر شرماركي) (born 18 June 1960), popularly known as Omar Sharmarke, is a Somali diplomat and politician. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Prime Minister of Som ...
.
On 2 April 2013, delegates at Kismayo conference were presented with a draft provisional constitution, which they overwhelming approved. On 15 May 2013, an overwhelming majority of 500 delegates elected
Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) as the President of Jubaland.
On 28 August 2013, the autonomous Jubaland administration signed a national reconciliation agreement in
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, ...
with the
Somali federal government. Endorsed by the federal State Minister for the Presidency Farah Abdulkadir on behalf of President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the pact was brokered by the Foreign Ministry of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the Er ...
and came after protracted bilateral talks. Under the terms of the agreement, Jubaland will be administered for a two-year period by a Juba Interim Administration and led by the region's incumbent president, Ahmed Mohamed Islam. The regional president will serve as the chairperson of a new Executive Council, to which he will appoint three deputies. Management of Kismayo's seaport and airport will also be transferred to the Federal Government after a period of six months, and revenues and resources generated from these infrastructures will be earmarked for Jubaland's service delivery and security sectors as well as local institutional development. Additionally, the agreement includes the integration of Jubaland's military forces under the central command of the Somali National Army (SNA), and stipulates that the Juba Interim Administration will command the regional police.
UN Special Envoy to Somalia
Nicholas Kay hailed the pact as "a breakthrough that unlocks the door for a better future for Somalia,"
with AUC, UN, EU and IGAD representatives also present at the signing.
On 16 September 2014, President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud officially opened a reconciliation conference in Kismayo. The summit was aimed at Jubaland's Lower Juba, Middle Juba and Gedo constituencies, and was attended by delegates from across the nation and abroad.
On 30 December 2014, Jubaland President
Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) and
South West State
The South-West State of Somalia ( so, Goboleedka Koonfur Galbeed ee Soomaaliya, Maay Maay: ''Koofur Orsi''), is a Federal Member State in southwestern Somalia. It was founded by Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, leader of the Somalia RRA on 1 Ap ...
President
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan ( so, Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan, ar, شريف حسن الشيخ آدم; is a Somali politician. He is a former Minister of Finance of Somalia, and the last Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP).
Career ...
signed a 4-point Memorandum of Understanding on federalization, security, the 2016 general elections, trade, and the constitution. The bilateral accord was signed in the presence of representatives from the two regional states, including politicians, traditional leaders and civil society activists. Among the clauses of the accord were equitable allocation of international assistance by the federal authorities, agreeing on pre-civil war boundaries and regional demarcations established by the military government, and recommending that the federal authorities both delegate powers to regional bodies and adopt a No Objection Policy. Additionally, the memorandum stipulates that the two regional states will form a security committee consisting of representatives from both administrations, which will facilitate launching joint counterinsurgency operations, extradition, and expertise and intelligence sharing. The two administrations also proposed the creation of an interstate commission to liaise between the federal government and constituent regional states. They likewise indicated that their respective Chambers of Commerce would buttress commercial exchanges and cross-border trade.
In February 2015, the Interim Juba Administration began a selection process for the members of the new regional parliament. Following consultations with local stakeholders, the lawmakers were slated to be nominated by intellectuals in conjunction with traditional elders.
The legislative selection process was drawn from all of the regional state's constituent districts.
On 15 April 2015, a new 75-seat chamber of Jubaland parliament was inaugurated at an official ceremony at the presidential palace in
Kismayo. Federal lawmaker Sheikh Abdi Yusuf was therein elected as interim speaker, and 75 MPs were sworn into the new regional legislature.
On 7 May 2015, an inauguration ceremony was held in Kismayo for the Jubaland administration's first regional parliament. The event was attended by President of Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Vice President of Puntland
Abdihakim Abdullahi Haji Omar, Foreign Minister of Kenya
Amina Mohamed, Foreign Minister of Ethiopia
Tedros Adhanom, IGAD Executive Secretary
Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Envoy to Somalia Ambassador
Mohamed Abdi Afey, and other international representatives.
On 20 May 2015, Jubaland's newly formed regional cabinet had its first reshuffle, with Minister for Water and Mineral Resources Abdinoor Adan transferred to Minister for Information and former Minister for Finance Mohamed Aw-Yussuf filling his previous docket. Former Minister for Information Ibrahim Bajuun was also appointed as the Minister for Finance.
Demographics
Jubaland has a total population of around 2.5 million inhabitants with the majority hailing from the
Darood clan, also there are
Rahanweyn,
Hawiye and
Dir clans present. As of 2005, its constituent
administrative regions
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of Gedo, Lower Juba and Middle Juba had an estimated 328,378, 385,790 and 238,877 residents, respectively.
Mainly from Rahanweyn,
Hawiye,
Dir and
Darood clans.
Transportation
Air transportation in Jubaland is served by a number of
airports. These include the
Bardera Airport,
Garbaharey Airport and
Kismayo Airport.
Administrative divisions
Jubaland's three constituent administrative regions are:
*
Gedo
*
Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose)
*
Middle Juba (Jubbada Dhexe) – remains under the control of
Al-Shabaab
Society and culture
Communities
Solidarity Group of Jubbaland (SGJ), is a local grassroots development organisation in Jubaland. Local dances of Jubaland include the ''dhaanto''. Death from
hunger
In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period. In t ...
is a recurrent issue in Jubaland, including in 2017 and 2021. In 2020, Kenya's the
Daily Nation described Jubaland, along with
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
as
Darod
The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, دارود) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan was Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as ''Darood''. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripherie ...
clan states.
Borders
In February 2019, Kenyan officials have alleged that Somalia is engaged in an inappropriate auctioning of drilling rights along the African coast of the Ocean off Jubaland. The International Court of Arbitration has scheduled procedures for September 2019 concerning maritime territorial waters, which Somali sources indicate is being pre-empted by the Kenyan officials. Kenya demanded Somalia to abandon its ICJ case for bilateral discussion. Somalia sees this as delaying tactics as discussion did not produce results between 2009 and 2014. Kenya gave mining rights to France and Italian companies in 2009, however, accused Somalia of doing the same. Somalia denied the accusation. Somalia won the majority of their case off the Jubaland coast on the maritime dispute in 2020 at the ICJ (International Court of Justice).
See also
*
Jubaland Darawiish
References
Further reading
*Mwangi, Oscar, Jubaland: Somalia's new security dilemma and state-building efforts, Africa Review, 2016, Vol.8(2), p. 120.
*Colin D Robinson & Jahara Matisek (2020). "Assistance to Locally Appropriate Military Forces in Southern Somalia". The RUSI Journal. 165 (4)
*United Nations, Reports of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group, S/2010/91 and S/2011/433.
De facto regions of Somalia
States and territories established in 1998
Territorial disputes of Somalia
States of Somalia