Southwest State troops are on their way to Mogadishu to join other forces that are allied to President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.
The armed Southwest troops were seen gathering in Lower Shabelle, which is roughly 40 minutes away from Mogadishu by road.
They gathered for briefing and marching orders on December 28.
Reports indicate that they are scheduled to arrive in Mogadishu in the next 48 hours.
Southwest State’s President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen is one of Farmaajo’s closest allies among leaders of the Federal Member States (FMS).
In sending his troops to Mogadishu, Laftagareen is probably showing that he sides with Farmaajo rather than Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble.
Sections of Somali military in Mogadishu on Monday declared their intentions to remove Farmaajo from office.