During the
Middle Ages, 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. From 1836 until 1861, parts of Jubaland were nominally claimed by the
Sultanate of Muscat (now in
Oman).
Early modern In 1819–23, Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan and his companions founded the fortified town of
Bardheere. In the early 19th century the Sheikh of the town launched a Jihad against the Oromos to reclaim the lands they had taken previously. This would be the start of a reconquest spanning a century, where with the addition of the invading
Daroods from the
Ogaadeen,
Marexan, and
Aulihan clans, would ally with the Somalis in NFD, winning numerous campaigns, battles, skirmishes, and victories. Which secured the NFD and Jubaland, restored land which belonged to the Somali clans prior to the Oromo invasions, alongside pushing the Oromos out of southern Somalia, and back towards the
Tana river in Kenya.
Colonial period '' postage stamps of 1926. 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 in 1924–25, as a reward for the Italians having joined the Allies in
World War I, 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 in exchange for returning the
Italian Islands of the Aegean to
Greece, but
Benito Mussolini's government rejected the
quid pro quo. After the
Corfu incident, British Prime Minister
Ramsay MacDonald decided to cede Jubaland unconditionally to the
Italian colonial empire. Jubaland was then incorporated into neighbouring
Italian Somaliland on 30 June 1926. The boundary with Kenya was settled by the Jubaland Commission and the Jubaland Boundary Commission.
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") affected the northern regions of Somalia. The
Soviet Union, 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 movements, 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 Defence, briefly declared Jubaland independent on 3 September 1998. Political opponents of General Morgan subsequently united as the
Allied Somali Forces (ASF), seizing control of Kismayo by June of the following year. 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
Sharia law. The Transitional Federal Government sought to re-establish its authority, and, with the assistance of
Ethiopian troops,
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 took 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. 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 Defence 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 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, and specifying that the operation would officially be Somalia-led. The new president of
Somalia, 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 Marehan and Ogaden 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. 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 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 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. The parties agreed to integrate Jubaland's military forces into the
Somali National Army, and stipulated 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 30 December 2014, Jubaland President
Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) and
South West State President
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan 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. On 25 November 2024, Jubaland's President Madobe was elected to a third term in regional elections. On 28 November, Somalia claimed that the regional election had been held without federal involvement. Somalia and Jubaland issued warrants accusing each other's presidents of treason, and Jubaland suspended relations with the federal government. On 12 December, Somalia pulled its troops out of Jubaland after
clashes with local forces, in which Jubaland claimed victory. == Borders ==