# Ahmed Madobe (Axmed Madoobe), Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam

> Ahmed Madobe (born 1951): President of Jubaland since 2012/2013 and founder of the Raskamboni movement.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/ahmed-madobe/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam, better known as Ahmed Madobe, is the president of [Jubaland](/en/states/jubaland/) State ([Wikipedia, Ahmed Mohamed Islam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mohamed_Islam)). Jubaland lies in southern Somalia on the borders of Kenya and Ethiopia ([Nation, 7 September 2025](https://beta.nation.co.ke/kenya/weekly-review/why-was-somalia-s-jubaland-formed-and-who-is-its-leader-madobe--5183878)). This page records his public role and favours no side.

## Early life

He was born in Kebri [Dahar](/en/regions/dhahar/), in the Somali Region of Ethiopia ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mohamed_Islam)). He finished high school in Mogadishu and studied Islamic law (same source).

## Islamist movements

Before 1991 he was a member of Al-Itihaad Al-Islamiya and fought in its campaigns ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mohamed_Islam)). In 2006 he became governor of the [Juba](/en/economy/farming-and-harvests/) regions and [Gedo](/en/regions/gedo/) under the Islamic Courts Union (same source). He was wounded and captured during the 2006–2007 fighting, and held in Ethiopia (same source). He was released in 2009 (same source).

## Raskamboni and Kismayo

In 2009 he formed the [Raskamboni](/en/institutions/raskamboni-movement/) movement ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mohamed_Islam)). It turned against [al-Shabaab](/en/society/al-shabaab/) ([Nation](https://beta.nation.co.ke/kenya/weekly-review/why-was-somalia-s-jubaland-formed-and-who-is-its-leader-madobe--5183878)). In 2012 his forces and the Kenya Defence Forces took Kismayo from al-Shabaab (same source). The movement later became the Jubaland Security Force (same source). See [Somalis in Kenya](/en/diaspora/kenya/).

## President of Jubaland

He became interim head of Jubaland on 1 October 2012 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mohamed_Islam)). On 15 May 2013 he was elected interim president for two years (same source). On 28 August 2013 he signed a reconciliation agreement with the federal government in Addis Ababa (same source). The Jubaland parliament re-elected him in August 2015 and August 2019 (same source). The opposition disputed the 2019 result (same source).

## Relations with Mogadishu

His ties with the federal government have often been tense ([Nation](https://beta.nation.co.ke/kenya/weekly-review/why-was-somalia-s-jubaland-formed-and-who-is-its-leader-madobe--5183878)). In November 2024, during a dispute over the Jubaland election, Jubaland and federal authorities issued arrest warrants against each other's leaders ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mohamed_Islam)). See [the timeline from 2012 to 2026](/en/history/timeline-2012-to-2026/).

## In short

President of Jubaland since 2013, after leading an armed movement in the 1990s and 2000s.

---
I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.