President Mohamud arrives in Baidoa amid criticism of Southwest interim appointment

Friday April 3, 2026

Baidoa (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud landed in Baidoa on Friday for his first trip to the Southwest regional capital since the installation of an interim administration and the latest political turmoil in the state.

In a statement, Villa Somalia said the visit is intended to speed up the delivery of social services, push forward peace and reconciliation efforts, reinforce governance and support preparations for Somalia’s planned one-person, one-vote elections.

The president is expected to hold meetings with the interim leadership of Southwest State, traditional elders, security officials, members of the armed forces and civil society representatives.

“President Hassan Sheikh will hold consultations aimed at strengthening security, restoring public services and advancing the democratization process to meet the aspirations of the Somali people for peace, stability and sustainable development,” the statement said.

The trip comes at a delicate political moment. The federal government recently named Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi as interim head of Southwest State after unrest and leadership changes in Baidoa. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said the move was meant to preserve continuity in governance and help stabilize the region as it prepares for universal suffrage elections.

But the decision has faced sharp pushback from opposition figures and political leaders, who say it breaches constitutional rules governing federal member states.

The Somali Future Council denounced the appointment as unconstitutional and warned that it weakens Somalia’s federal system. Former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke also objected, arguing that the federal government has no legal authority to replace a regional administration with a transitional authority.

Analysts say the president’s visit is likely designed to shore up federal authority in the region while easing tensions and projecting calm after weeks of confrontation between Mogadishu and the former Southwest leadership.

Southwest State has become a focal point in wider disputes over constitutional amendments that extended the mandates of federal institutions and over the rollout of direct elections. Those moves have deepened political strains between the federal government and several regional administrations.