Madobe reveals betrayal by FMS leaders over Gedo talks with Farmaajo

GOOBJOOG NEWS|GAROWE: Jubbaland President Ahmed Madobe has spoken about ‘betrayal’ by fellow Federal Member State leaders during talks with President Mohamed Farmaajo in September.

Madobe told the ongoing public forum in Garowe that his push to have the president withdraw troops from Gedo region failed after fellow FMS leaders failed to keep their promise.

“Before the meeting began, I demanded that the Gedo issue be addressed first but my colleagues appealed to me to drop the condition and that we would take it up with Farmaajo after the meeting,” Madobe said.

“When the meeting concluded, I went back to them but no one wanted to talk about the issue.”

Madobe has variously demanded that Farmaajo withdraw federal troops from Gedo region as a precondition for elections there. The troops were deployed there early in the year following disputes between Mogadishu and Jubbaland.

Madobe told the Heritage Forum of Ideas in Garowe that elections will only take place in Gedo region if fellow FMS leader cedes control of one of the elections centres to the Federal Government.

The September agreement by Farmaajo and FMS leaders provided for elections to take place in two towns in every regional state.