Abdiaziz Laftagareen Re-elected Southwest State President for Five-Year Term

Saturday March 28, 2026

Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has won re-election for a further five-year term after voters went to the polls on Saturday in Baidoa, the interim administrative capital of the region.

Under the supervision of the electoral commission, Laftagareen received 66 votes, narrowly but decisively beating his challenger, Abdullahi Haji Hassan, who secured 13 votes. The vote takes place as political tensions continue to mount between the Southwest administration and Somalia’s federal government.

In remarks after the result was announced, Laftagareen thanked members of parliament and the electoral officials for conducting the election despite difficult conditions.

“I thank the members of parliament who elected me and the electoral commission for organizing the elections in difficult times and under many circumstances. I ask God to make me one who preserves unity and peace in the southwestern regions,” he said.

Two weeks earlier, Laftagareen said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had been blocking regional elections since 2022. He pointed to a meeting held in September 2022 at the National Consultative Council, saying regional leaders had sought elections at the time.

“In September 2022, all regional state leaders were present at the National Consultative Council meeting. I requested that we hold elections. The president told us that we would not hold elections, but that they would be merged,” Laftagareen said.

As of Saturday, Somalia’s federal government had not issued an official response to the re-election.

Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo congratulated Laftagareen, linking the outcome to the broader need for democratic engagement in strengthening federal institutions.

“The elected leadership of the Southwest State is tasked with accelerating reconciliation among its people, completing the liberation of areas under terrorist control, and developing essential public services,” Farmaajo said in a statement.

He added that holding elections on schedule across federal member states remains essential for long-term political stability and the consolidation of Somalia’s federal system.

Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also welcomed the election, congratulating Laftagareen as well as the re-elected Speaker of the Southwest Parliament, Dr. Ali Said Fiqi.

“The Southwest election has eliminated political uncertainty within the administrative institutions,” Sharif said, calling on other regional administrations whose mandates have expired to organize elections without delay.

Sharif further urged President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to avoid pursuing political solutions through force, warning that coercive approaches could deepen mistrust and intensify instability.

Laftagareen’s return to the presidency comes as the standoff between Mogadishu and the Southwest State, Puntland State, and Jubbaland continues to escalate. The disagreement centers on constitutional amendments passed by Somalia’s federal parliament, which extend the mandates of federal institutions from four to five years. The three administrations have also suspended ties with the federal government, accusing Mogadishu of interfering in their political and security affairs.