Jubaland

Map of Jubaland

As Jubaland ( Somali : Jubbaland , Arabic جوبالاند) is the extreme southwest of Somalia , west of the Juba / Jubba River on the border with Kenya . This area includes the former Somali administrative regions Gedo , Central and Lower Jubba . The most important city is the port city of Kismaayo . Clans in the region are the predominantly rural and cattle-breeding Marehan and Ogadeni- Darod . Harti-Darod also live in the city of Kismayo. The Somali Bantu live as arable farmers on the Juba River .

In the course of the Somali civil war , political leaders from the region declared the hard-fought area to be the autonomous state of Jubaland several times , including Azania in 2011 . After the introduction of the new federal constitution of Somalia in August 2012, the Interim Jubba Administration (IJA) under the leadership of the former Islamist commander Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe” formed an interim administration for a federal state Jubaland State of Somalia on August 28, 2013, approved by the new federal government of Somalia .

history

Postage stamps of the Italian Oltre Giuba 1926

Early days

The region probably already played a role in world trade in ancient times via its ports. Numerous cities on the Juba have existed at least since the Middle Ages, such as Bardera or the port of Kismaayo. The region was part of the Sultanate of Ajuuraan until the 17th century, came under the influence of the Sultanate of Muscat from 1836 and was added to the Sultanate of Zanzibar on October 19, 1856 when it was divided.

Colonial times

On November 7, 1890, Zanzibar became a British protectorate and ceded its East African possessions to Great Britain on July 1, 1895 . The areas west of the Juba River belonged to British East Africa before it was transferred to Italy in 1924 as Trans-Juba or Oltre Giuba and incorporated into Italian Somaliland on June 30, 1926 . Trans-Juba covered 87,000 km² at that time with a population of 120,000 people.

During the Second World War , the area was occupied by British troops and was under military administration until 1947. From 1947 until Somalia gained independence on July 1, 1960, Jubaland was part of the Italian Somali Trust Territory .

Civil war

Jubaland

Flag of Jubaland (1998)

In the Somali civil war since 1991, Jubaland was fought over between different warring parties. In December 1993, the warlord Siad Hersi Morgan took Kismayo. With his SPM -Harti, he proclaimed the independent state of Jubaland on September 3, 1998 , which, however, was not recognized as such by any state. Siad Hersi and the SPM-Harti were disempowered in 1999 by the opposing Juba Valley Alliance (JVA). The JVA joined Somalia's interim government on June 18, 2001 , so that Jubaland was now nominally under their control. The fighting with Siad Hersi continued. In 2006 the Union of Islamic Courts took over power in Jubaland and large other parts of the country and ousted the JVA. After the Union's defeat by international troops, the radical Islamic militias grouped under al-Shabaab in the south .

Azania State of Somalia

Flag of Azania (2011)

From 2010 residents in the south began to strive for a new secular administration and stability in the region. On April 3, 2011, Somali politicians finally founded the Republic of Azania in the Kenyan capital Nairobi . When it was founded, the autonomous republics in the north of the country were modeled on, such as Puntland or Galmudug , which, although they administer themselves independently, but, unlike Somaliland , continue to see Somalia as parts of a common state. The first president of the new republic was Mohamed Abdi Gandhi, the former defense minister of Somalia. According to Gandhi, the name Azania was chosen because of its historical significance - originally the Somali coast was called that by Egyptian sailors, as there was an abundant supply of food here. In its origin it means "land of plenty".

When Jubaland was liberated from al-Shabaab in October 2011, the region benefited from the Kenyan Operation Linda Nchi (German: Defend the Nation), with which Kenya militarily intervened in the civil war. Observers suspected that Kenya wanted to establish a buffer zone via the Republic of Azania and gain influence on the oil reserves presumed in the region.

Jubaland State of Somalia

Flag of Jubalands (2013)

On April 2, 2013, delegates at a "state conference" in Kismayo adopted a provisional constitution for Jubaland. On May 15, 2013, a constituent assembly elected Ahmed Mohamed Islam, known as “Madobe”, as the new president. Even though Madobe, leader of the Ras Kamboni militia, had successfully cracked down on militant fighters allegedly linked to al-Qaeda , the former warlord was considered unpopular by the government in Mogadishu. Just hours later, the former prison leader Barre Hiirale declared himself the rightful president of the region, but found too little support other than the goodwill of the central government.

On August 28, 2013, the autonomous government signed a national reconciliation agreement with the Somali federal government. The agreement was brokered by Ethiopia and provided that Jubaland would be governed by an interim government under Ahmed Mohamed Islam for the next two years. In return, control of the port and airport of Kismaayo is to be transferred to the federal government at the beginning of 2014, with proceeds from these being earmarked for public services and the development of institutions in Jubaland. The agreement also provides for the integration of the region's military forces into the Somali army , while the interim government retains control of the regional police force. Representatives from AU , UN , EU and IGAD were also present at the signing. The UN Special Envoy for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, described the agreement as a "breakthrough that opens the door to a better future for Somalia".

Web links

• Yes to the invasion of AG Friedensforschung

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Dominik Balthasar: Somalia's federal agenda: From Fragility to Fragmentation ( Memento of December 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 930 kB). Brief Issue 17/2014 of the European Union Institute for Security Studies , June 2014 (English)
2. ^ Somalia creates new state, Azania. In: news.com.au. April 4, 2011, accessed April 11, 2012 . 
3. ↑ Welcome to Azania / Jubaland: The world's newest pseudostate. In: Foreign Policy . April 6, 2011, accessed April 11, 2012 . 
4. ↑ Abdifitah Ibrahim: Azania President Vows To Defeat Al-Shabaab. In: Somaliareport.com. June 4, 2011, archived from the original on June 13, 2012 ; Retrieved January 5, 2014 . 
5. ↑ Are Kenyans seeking a buffer zone in Somalia? In: BBC News . October 20, 2011, accessed April 11, 2012 . 
6. ↑ Somalia: Jubaland conference continues with provisional constitution ( Memento of April 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). Garowe Online (April 2, 2013). Accessed April 22, 2013.
7. ^ Former Islamist warlord elected president of Somali region . Reuters. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
8. ↑ Somalia: Jubaland gains recognition after intense bilateral talks in Ethiopia . In: Garowe Online , August 28, 2013. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013. 
9. ↑ Abera Wendoson: Somalia gives recognition to Jubaland interim administration . In: Ethiopian Herald . Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013. 
10. ↑ Andualem Sisay: Somali government and Jubaland strike a peace deal . In: Africa Review , August 29, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.