What happened? When Jubbaland ignored the federal government’s opposition to the election, Mogadishu issued an arrest warrant for Madobe, and Jubbaland responded by issuing a reciprocal warrant for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Somalia's defense minister accused the Jubbaland forces of initiating the clashes on Wednesday, but the federal government responded with drone strikes, and both sides are reporting casualties.
Why it matters: The fighting is taking place in a strategically important region. Jubbaland, one of Somalia’s five semi-autonomous regions, is situated adjacent to Kenya and Ethiopia. It is Somalia’s breadbasket, its shoreline delineates a contested maritime zone with Kenya, with potential oil and gas deposits, and Kismayu is a key port.Europe can no longer rely on the US and must step up to defend its own future, Ian Bremmer reports from the Munich Security Conference.
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A poster featuring Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, is installed on a sign leading to the parking area of the Sandringham Estate in Wolferton, as pressure builds on him to give evidence after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in Norfolk, Britain, February 5, 2026.
British police arrested former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor today over allegations that in 2010, when he was a UK trade envoy, he shared confidential government documents with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.