Ousted Southwest State Leader Returns to Kenya to Rally Political Allies

NAIROBI, Kenya — Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, widely known as Lafta-Gareen, has reappeared on the political stage in a conspicuous way, hosting a high-profile luncheon in Nairobi on Saturday nearly a month after stepping down as president of Somalia’s Southwest State.

The gathering drew federal lawmakers, prominent politicians and longtime allies who stood by him through a bitter confrontation with the federal government at Villa Somalia. Among those present was Mohamed Mursal, the former Speaker of the House of the People, who accompanied the former regional president from Baidoa.

Writing on his official Facebook page, Lafta-Gareen thanked his backers and singled out regional ministers who resigned in solidarity before his administration ultimately unraveled. He described their decision as evidence of a shared set of principles and a common political direction.

At the luncheon, the former Southwest State leader made clear that leaving office did not mean leaving politics behind. He told supporters that the alliance they had built would remain intact and said they would continue ahead as a united force in future election campaigns.

His reappearance in Kenya comes as Somalia grapples with a widening constitutional vacuum and an ongoing dispute over the structure of federal elections. Political observers say the move suggests an attempt to tighten his grip on his support base from abroad while keeping himself relevant as a key player in the country’s approaching national transition.

By keeping close to influential figures such as Mursal, Lafta-Gareen appears determined to show that, even without regional executive power, he intends to stay firmly embedded in Somalia’s volatile political arena.

AXADLETM