Somalia’s ousted Southwest leader Laftagaren plans comeback as federal forces tighten grip on Baidoa
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s ousted Southwest regional state leader Abdiasis Laftagaren, removed from power last month in a federal military operation, is preparing to return and reestablish his administration, Caasimada Online news website reported on Tuesday. A spokesman for Laftagaren, Ugas Hassan Mohamed Abdi, said efforts were underway to revive what he described as the […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s ousted Southwest regional state leader Abdiasis Laftagaren, removed from power last month in a federal military operation, is preparing to return and reestablish his administration, Caasimada Online news website reported on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Laftagaren, Ugas Hassan Mohamed Abdi, said efforts were underway to revive what he described as the legitimate regional administration. The move comes barely a month after Laftagaren was re-elected in a controversial, expedited vote that the federal government rejected outright, declaring it invalid and unconstitutional.
That disputed election served as the trigger for a federal military operation in which Laftagaren was forced from office. Federal troops subsequently took control of Baidoa, placing the Southwest regional administration under the direct authority of Mogadishu, which is now expected to install a leadership seen as loyal to the federal government.
Ugas Hassan said residents of Southwest state should be aware that plans were ongoing to restore the administration, which he said was built on legitimacy and intended to reflect the will of the people. Still, questions remain over that claim, with critics arguing the process lacked genuine public mandate. Baidoa had experienced a period of relative calm before tensions escalated, but that stability appeared to unravel after federal forces entered the city in late March, when videos circulated online showing looting and widespread disorder.
In recent developments, forces loyal to Laftagaren, along with dozens of technicals, withdrew from their position in Awdinle town in Bay region and relocated to Dolow, a town along the Somalia–Ethiopia border in the neighboring Gedo region. Since then, former security officials aligned with Laftagaren are reported to have arrived in the area to begin mobilization efforts, though the scale and effectiveness of those efforts remain unclear.
Meanwhile, the federal government is preparing to hold a vote in Baidoa in the coming weeks. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is reported to have narrowed the field for the current Speaker of Parliament, Adan Madobe, positioning him as the sole candidate representing the ruling political camp while persuading other contenders to withdraw. Madobe is widely expected to win in what critics describe as a foregone conclusion, given that the process remains firmly under federal control.
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