Ahmed Madobe (Axmed Madoobe), Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam

Who is he?

Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam, better known as Ahmed Madobe, is the president of Jubaland State (Wikipedia, Ahmed Mohamed Islam). Jubaland lies in southern Somalia on the borders of Kenya and Ethiopia (Nation, 7 September 2025). This page records his public role and favours no side.

Early life

He was born in Kebri Dahar, in the Somali Region of Ethiopia (Wikipedia). 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). In 2006 he became governor of the Juba regions and 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 movement (Wikipedia). It turned against al-Shabaab (Nation). 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.

President of Jubaland

He became interim head of Jubaland on 1 October 2012 (Wikipedia). 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). In November 2024, during a dispute over the Jubaland election, Jubaland and federal authorities issued arrest warrants against each other's leaders (Wikipedia). See the timeline from 2012 to 2026.

In short

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