Federal government declares Southwest State elections illegitimate, invalid

Sunday March 29, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government has thrown out the results of Saturday’s elections in Baidoa, branding them illegitimate and intensifying a tense showdown with the Southwest State administration.

In a statement from the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, officials said the vote amounted to a “premeditated appointment” that did not reflect the wishes of the people of Southwest State.

“The election was not legitimate,” the ministry said. “Any process based on illegality, coercion and political corruption, called an election, is unacceptable.”

The ministry said the process, which wrapped up in less than 24 hours, was conducted without transparency and offered no real contest. It added that the exercise violated Somalia’s constitution, electoral laws and state-building principles, warning that it could deepen instability across the already fragile Southwest regions.

The disputed poll returned President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen to office for another five-year term, while Dr. Ali Said Fiqi was elected Speaker of the regional parliament. The vote was held in Baidoa, the interim administrative capital of Southwest State.

Even as Mogadishu rejected the outcome, several high-profile political figures backed it. Former Somali Presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed both congratulated Laftagareen, pointing to the need for democratic practice and continuity of institutions within Somalia’s federal system.

Their messages highlighted how sharply the political rift has widened between the federal capital and important regional actors.

Opposition figures in Southwest State had earlier denounced the selection of the 95 members of the third regional parliament, rejecting both the makeup of the chamber and the leadership vote that followed.

Laftagareen’s re-election comes as tensions grow between the federal government and several federal member states, including Puntland State and Jubbaland. The three administrations have all severed ties with Mogadishu, accusing it of meddling in their political and security affairs.

At the center of the dispute are constitutional amendments passed by Somalia’s federal parliament that lengthen the terms of federal institutions from four years to five. Regional leaders and opposition groups have rejected the changes, arguing that they weaken consensus and put the country’s fragile federal arrangement at risk.

The standoff has also fueled fears of a possible security flare-up. Reports say federal troops and forces aligned with Southwest opposition groups are moving toward Baidoa, allegedly in an effort to challenge the newly elected leadership. The Southwest administration has said it will resist any attempt to remove its officials.

On Saturday, a federal minister confirmed that Bardale district had come under the control of government-aligned forces, a move many observers viewed as a sign of an advance toward Baidoa.

Southwest officials have repeatedly accused the federal government of sending troops to unsettle the region, allegations Mogadishu has not publicly addressed.