Somali federal troops, supported by allied paramilitary groups, took control of key facilities in Baidoa early Monday after entering the city with minimal resistance, according to local media reports. The move comes as tensions between the federal government and Southwest State intensified into an armed confrontation.
Sources reported that the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), alongside allied militias, secured the police station, major commercial areas, and other strategic sites without significant fighting.
Forces loyal to Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, known as Laftagareen, were said to have withdrawn from parts of the city.
As of Monday afternoon, Laftagareen’s whereabouts were unknown. However, journalist Harun Maruf noted that his main base and Baidoa airport remained under African Union control, including Ethiopian troops, who have not intervened in the standoff so far.
“The African Union forces are positioned at the airport and key locations, but they have not taken part in the conflict,” Harun wrote on X.
ction, stating that any attack on Baidoa or Southwest State would be met with a strong response. He also called on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to avoid further bloodshed and work toward a credible electoral solution.
There have been no further updates from him since that statement.
The crisis follows Laftagareen’s disputed re-election on March 28, which the federal government rejected. After the vote, he said his administration would focus on stability, development, and contributing to Somalia’s broader progress and democratization.
Tensions between Mogadishu and Southwest State have been rising in recent weeks. On March 23, regional authorities warned that increased federal military deployments could trigger civil war and a humanitarian crisis.
They accused the federal government of using force to resolve political disputes that should be handled through constitutional means, warning it could push the country toward internal conflict.
The regional administration also alleged that internationally trained national army units—supported by Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, and the US—were being used for political purposes instead of counterterrorism.
Additionally, they claimed that weapons supplied by Egypt were being used in operations against Southwest State rather than against Al-Shabaab militants.
