Kismayo (Somali: Kismaayo, Arabic: كيسمايو, Kīsmāyū; Italian: Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia.

The city is situated 528 kilometres (328 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu, near the mouth of the Jubba River, where it empties into the Indian Ocean.

Britain retained control of the southern half of the partitioned Jubaland territory, which was later called the Northern Frontier District (NFD).

[10] Following the breakdown of central authority that accompanied the civil war in 1991, various local militias fought for control of the city, including supporters of Mohammed Said Hersi ("General Morgan"), and Col. Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale Somali National Front (SNF), later on known as the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA).

[12] Political opponents of his subsequently united as the Allied Somali Forces (ASF), seizing control of Kismayo by June of the following year.

[13] Led by Colonel Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale, the ASF administration renamed itself the Juba Valley Alliance in 2001.

[15] On January 8, 2007, as the Battle of Ras Kamboni raged just south of Kismayo, the TFG relocated from its interim location in Baidoa to the nation's capital, Mogadishu.

Some of the more radical elements, including Al-Shabaab, regrouped to continue their insurgency against the TFG and oppose the Ethiopian military's presence in Somalia.

[17] In September 2012, Somali Army, Ras Kamboni militiamen and Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF), all under command of the African Union Mission in Somalia AMISOM, re-captured the city from the Al-Shabaab insurgents during the Battle of Kismayo (2012).

The gu rains, also known as the Southwest Monsoons, begin in April and last until July producing significant fresh water and allowing lush vegetation to grow.

[26] With the subsequent ouster of the Al-Shabaab rebels in September 2012, the Somali government began preparing mediations between the city's various stakeholders in order to establish an inclusive local administration.

Under the terms of the agreement, Jubaland is administered for a two-year period by a Juba Interim Administration and led by the region's incumbent president, Ahmed Mohamed Islam.

[29] In 2022 Adar Ismail Jurati led a consultative meeting with government officials and people who perform female gential mutilation (FGM) with a view to stopping the practice in the area.

Revenues and resources generated from the airport will also be earmarked for Jubaland's service delivery and security sectors as well as local institutional development.

Part of a broader urbanization drive, the initiative includes the clearing of clogged streets and lanes, razing of illegal buildings therein, and further development of the municipal road network.

[36] In 1984, Somalia and the United States jointly refurbished the port after significant wear to the 2,070-foot-long (630 m) four-berth, marginal wharf made major renovations necessary.

Like Kismayo Airport, revenues and resources generated by the seaport are to be earmarked for Jubaland's service delivery and security sectors as well as local institutional development.