Former Somali PM criticizes appointment of interim Southwest state leader

Friday April 3, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has sharply condemned the federal government’s decision to name an interim leader for Southwest State, calling it unconstitutional and a direct affront to Somalia’s federal order.

In a statement, Sharmarke challenged what he described as the effective reduction of a federal member state into an entity subordinate to the central government. He argued that no legal authority exists for replacing an elected state administration with a transitional leadership appointed from Mogadishu.

“There is no law that allows for the replacement of a state with a transitional administration that answers to the Federal Government,” Sharmarke said, adding that Somalia’s federal system rests on a defined balance of power between national and regional institutions.

He noted that transitional arrangements may be part of the electoral process at the regional level, but said the broader consequences of the move remain troubling.

“The question is whether the Federal Government is attempting to rewrite the future direction of the federal system,” he said.

Sharmarke warned that setting aside constitutional procedures could erase hard-won political gains and drag the country back into a deeper governance crisis.

His comments come amid mounting criticism from opposition figures and other political leaders who have also rejected the federal government’s intervention in Southwest State.

The dispute follows a decree issued Wednesday by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre naming Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi as interim head of Southwest State. The federal government has said the appointment is intended to preserve continuity in governance, stabilize the region and prepare for Somalia’s planned one-person, one-vote elections after recent political turmoil in Baidoa.

Southwest State has emerged as a flashpoint in the widening tensions between Mogadishu and regional leaders over constitutional amendments and electoral reforms. Analysts say the standoff highlights how fragile Somalia’s federal system remains and underscores the need for consensus-driven dialogue to avoid further political fragmentation.