Hundreds of people took to the streets of Kismayo, the interim capital of Jubaland, to express their anger against the Turkish government following an incident in Dolow district of the Gedo region. The protesters accused Turkey of involvement in an airstrike that allegedly targeted senior military commander, General Mahad Abdirahman Aden, known as General Shub. Some of the demonstrators burned the Turkish flag, while others carried images depicting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with blood on his hands.
Some of the placards carried by the protesters read:”We do not need Erdogan.” The protesters chanted slogans reflecting a shift in their sentiments toward Turkiye. Some of the protesters declared, “We used to love Erdogan and Turkiye, but now we hate them.” They also condemned what they described as an assassination attempt against General Shub, stating that a Turkish military drone was used in the operation. Jubaland officials and politicians critical of the Federal Government of Somalia had previously stated that the drone involved in the Dolow incident was operated by, or originated from Turkey.
For its part, the Federal Government of Somalia denied that an airstrike took place at the location where the incident was reported, while the Turkish government has not officially confirmed any involvement. Meanwhile, more than a thousand people from the community in the Afmadow district of the Lower Juba region gathered to protest what they described as a foreign interference and Turkey’s involvement in Somalia’s internal affairs. The demonstrators called for the preservation of the sovereignty, unity and self-determination of the Somali people, asserting that Somalis should independently decide on the country’s internal affairs.
These protests coincide with escalating political tensions between the Federal Government of Somalia and Jubaland administration, particularly regarding issues concerning the Gedo region, security, and the country’s broader political dispute.’ Jubaland’s minister of women stated that the administration would not tolerate attacks carried out by a drone belonging to a foreign country. She said, “We do not accept our people and our territory being attacked by a drone belonging to a foreign country.”
Jubaland’s Minister of information also asserted that the administration would resist what he described as an invasion of Jubaland. He said, “Any attempt to invade Jubaland of whatever nature—has failed in the past, and it has failed now. By the grace of Allah, we will triumph over Hassan and his allies.” Kismayo District Commissioner stated that the public and Jubaland administration are prepared to defend the existence of Jubaland’s statehood and what he described as their honor.
For his part, the Jubaland Minister of Security accused the Federal Government of undermining the country’s statehood and spirit of partnership, declaring that Jubaland is ready to defend itself against the central government and what he termed “the new colonizer”. The protests in Kismayo and Afmadow illustrate how events in Dolow are influencing the views of certain segments of Jubaland society regarding Turkiye.
