Since taking office in 2017, outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has pursued a centralization policy, attempting to install loyalists across Somalia’s five Federal Member States (FMS). While he succeeded in South West, Hirshabelle, and Galmudug, he failed in Puntland and Jubaland, where resistance was fierce. The standoff in Jubaland’s Gedo region, particularly in Garbahaarey, has emerged as a flashpoint in Somalia’s current electoral process. Farmaajo’s refusal to recognize the re-election of Jubaland President Ahmed Madoobe and the subsequent deployment of federal forces to Gedo effectively cut the region off from the Jubaland administration. This move has led to fears of an unfair and manipulated electoral process, as the 16 parliamentary seats in Garbahaarey are crucial in selecting Somalia’s next president.