Somali army takes control of regional administrative capital
Somalia’s national army has taken control of Baidoa, the administrative capital of South West State, forcing regional leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen to resign after a confrontation with the federal government over constitutional changes and elections.
Laftagareen was reelected on Saturday for another five-year term as president of South West State, despite opposition from federal authorities. The Somali Interior Ministry denounced the vote as “a clear act of illegality and premeditated self-appointment,” saying it violated national electoral laws and the constitution.
Mogadishu said the process was completed within 24 hours and lacked transparency, free competition and legitimacy, describing it as “a blatant attempt to manipulate the democratic process and impose a predetermined outcome.”
The federal government announced last week that Laftagareen was “no longer recognized” as the leader of South West State and that all decisions issued by his administration were “no longer valid.”
The move came days after the South West State administration said it was severing ties with Mogadishu, accusing it of arming militias and attempting to oust the regional leader. Tensions have been building in recent weeks after authorities in Baidoa rejected constitutional amendments approved at the federal level.
Federal troops moved into key parts of Baidoa on Monday as civilians fled and some aid agencies suspended operations over fears of wider unrest, according to locals cited by Reuters. The city is one of Somalia’s most sensitive political centers, serving as the seat of South West State and as a base for federal forces, peacekeepers and humanitarian operations.
Somalia’s federal information ministry said the army arrived in Baidoa “in response to the will of the people to fulfill their mandate” and to address political instability created by “the former administration.”
On Monday, Laftagareen announced on Facebook that he was resigning with immediate effect.
He first became president of South West State after a disputed 2018 regional election in which Mukhtar Robow, a former deputy leader of the militant group Al-Shabaab and a leading challenger, was arrested in Baidoa. The arrest triggered protests in which at least 11 people were killed.
