Somali Opposition Backs Southwest State amid Growing Rift with Federal Government

Somalia: Regional Bloc Rallies Behind Southwest State as Clash with Federal Government Widens

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A bloc of Somali regional states and political figures has thrown its support behind Southwest State President Abdiaziz Laftagareen, further isolating the federal government as a constitutional confrontation gathers pace.

The Somali Future Council, which includes the regional governments of Jubbaland and Puntland State alongside the Salvation Forum, issued a statement applauding Laftagareen’s move to challenge federal authority. The council pledged full backing for Southwest State’s plan to hold independent, “free and fair” regional elections, casting the initiative as a united rebuke of Mogadishu’s proposed electoral roadmap.

The endorsement lands amid a sharp escalation between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration and Southwest State. At issue are federal constitutional amendments adopted without regional consensus and a federal push for a “one-person, one-vote” system that regional leaders argue is not yet workable and is being used to consolidate power.

Raising alarms over a deteriorating political climate, the Somali Future Council insisted that all governance disputes be resolved under the provisional constitution to protect stability and public confidence. It urged Galmudug and Hirshabelle to avoid steps that could intensify the standoff, warning that national unity is at risk as the federal system shows signs of strain.

The statement closed with a pointed warning to President Mohamud, accusing his administration of deploying the Somali National Army for narrow political ends. Such actions, the council cautioned, could unravel years of progress in rebuilding Somalia’s security institutions and risk reigniting internal conflict.

AXADLETM