BAIDOA — South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed (Laftagareen) officially resigned on Monday after heavily armed federal government forces seized control of his administrative capital, Baidoa. The resignation concludes weeks of rapidly escalating political tensions with the central government that ultimately culminated in decisive military action.
Federal Forces Secure the Regional Capital
Early Monday morning, thousands of federal troops, supported by allied clan militias, entered the city located approximately 246 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu. While brief clashes with regional security forces occurred initially, the local troops were quickly overwhelmed, with some units retreating and others formally surrendering.
Social media videos and ground reports confirmed that federal forces—including elite, Turkish-trained units equipped with armored personnel carriers—moved steadily through the city’s main streets. For weeks leading up to the takeover, these federal units had been strategically advancing along the Mogadishu-Baidoa corridor. The convoy utilized Turkish drones and attack helicopters to maintain air superiority and prevent potential ambushes by Al-Shabaab militants, who still control significant portions of the surrounding route.
This dramatic military takeover occurred just days after Laftagareen held a hastily organized local election in Baidoa, where he was declared the winner of a second term. The federal government immediately dismissed the vote as an illegal and illegitimate “pseudo-election,” setting the stage for the subsequent federal military intervention to seize control of the city.
Negotiated Exit and Future Leadership
Following intense, closed-door negotiations with federal officials, Laftagareen agreed to step down from the regional presidency. In exchange, he was granted permission to travel abroad without legal restrictions and subsequently boarded a flight to Nairobi, Kenya.
While the federal government in Mogadishu has achieved a rapid military victory, political analysts caution that a significantly more difficult task awaits: establishing genuine, lasting reconciliation in a region deeply fractured along clan lines. These historical divisions have only been exacerbated by repeated federal interventions and the ongoing, bitter disputes over regional authority.
Focus is now aggressively shifting to a crowded field of political figures from South West State who are allied with the federal government and competing for the regional leadership vacancy. Key candidates reportedly include the federal Minister of Ports, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur; the Minister of Livestock, Hassan Elay; and the Speaker of the Federal Parliament, Adan Madobe.
Shifting National Power Dynamics
On a national scale, Laftagareen’s ouster severely weakens the coordinated opposition groups actively challenging President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s efforts to implement unilateral constitutional changes and a potential term extension. Recently, Laftagareen had aligned himself closely with other vocal critics of the federal administration’s policies, forming a powerful political bloc with leaders from Jubaland and Puntland, alongside prominent opposition figures in Mogadishu. His removal marks a significant consolidation of federal power ahead of the proposed national electoral transition.
