Rift between Somalia’s president and Southwest state leader erupts into violence
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A deepening rift between Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and his former ally, Southwest state President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, has burst into the open, escalating into armed clashes and a growing military buildup across the Bay region. Until recently, the two leaders were political partners. Laftagareen belongs to Mohamud’s Justice and […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A deepening rift between Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and his former ally, Southwest state President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, has burst into the open, escalating into armed clashes and a growing military buildup across the Bay region.
Until recently, the two leaders were political partners. Laftagareen belongs to Mohamud’s Justice and Prosperity Party (JSP), and both had agreed that the Southwest leader would postpone regional presidential elections and remain in office under guarantees from the federal government.
But tensions that had long simmered behind the scenes began to fracture the alliance weeks ago, eventually erupting into violence in the regional capital, Baidoa. Fighting broke out between regional security forces loyal to Laftagareen and troops aligned with a federal government–backed regional opposition led by federal ministers.
The clashes left dozens dead, according to reports, most of them civilians and opposition fighters battling regional authorities. After days of heavy fighting, Laftagareen’s forces regained the upper hand, forcing their rivals out of Baidoa following intense bombardment of opposition positions with heavy weapons.
The opposition has since regrouped in Burhakabo, another town in the Bay region, where it has established new bases. The group has reportedly drawn defections from regional security forces and is receiving reinforcements from clan militias.
On Saturday, opposition forces – backed by Villa Somalia – seized the town of Qansah-dhere after a brief gunbattle, driving out regional troops.
Amid the deteriorating security situation, the Somali federal government has reportedly summoned federal police and intelligence commanders stationed in the region to Mogadishu for consultations.
Federal lawmakers from Southwest state in Mogadishu have accused the federal government of inflaming tensions and violence in the Bay region. They allege that the administration is pursuing a broader agenda to weaken Somalia’s federal system — a charge long leveled by leaders in Puntland and Jubaland.
As the standoff intensifies and Mogadishu appears increasingly determined to push Laftagareen from office, political maneuvering inside Villa Somalia has already turned to the question of who might replace him.
President Mohamud is widely reported to have promised the speaker of parliament, Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, that he would help him rise to power in Southwest state if the speaker secured parliamentary approval of controversial constitutional amendments championed by the presidency within 45 days – a deadline Madobe ultimately met.
Yet political insiders say Villa Somalia has since walked back that pledge. Attention has instead shifted to Ports Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, who is now being discussed as the federal government’s preferred candidate should Laftagareen be forced from office.
Even so, removing the Southwest leader may prove far from straightforward. Laftagareen retains a formidable security presence in Baidoa, a city already under pressure from the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab.
For years, he has also enjoyed the backing of Ethiopian troops deployed across much of Southwest state. Whether Ethiopia will continue to support him – or stand aside as the political confrontation unfolds – remains an open question.
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