Somali PM rejects indirect elections after federal forces seize Baidoa

Tuesday March 31, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said Monday that Somalia’s federal government will not accept indirect elections, making the declaration just hours after the Somali National Army seized control of Baidoa following clashes with forces loyal to the Southwest regional administration.

Speaking in Mogadishu, Hamza said the security situation in Baidoa was now “fully under the control” of federal forces and drew a hard line against any return to clan-based or indirect voting arrangements in the area.

“Baidoa is under the control of the Federal Government. There are no indirect elections, and anything that could lead to clan revenge will not be accepted,” the prime minister said.

The remarks followed an announcement on Facebook by Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen that he was stepping down, days after securing another five-year term in a vote the federal government had already rejected. Reports said Laftagareen had reached an understanding with Mogadishu to hand over power and depart the city.

Hamza singled out Laftagareen in his speech, saying he regretted the way his political chapter had come to an end.

“My friend Abdiaziz Laftagareen did not want his history to end with what happened today, but unfortunately, that is how it ended,” he said.

The prime minister also took aim at opposition politicians who had praised Laftagareen after his re-election, brushing off their endorsements as politically meaningless.

“Politicians who congratulated a man who elected himself for two hours had what they had. If that was all, we have learned a good lesson,” he said.

Even so, Hamza said Laftagareen had played a role in major national efforts, including Somalia’s debt relief process, constitutional review talks and discussions on moving toward a one-person, one-vote electoral model.

The showdown in Southwest state is the latest flashpoint in the Horn of Africa nation’s fragile federal arrangement, where recurring disputes over elections and the distribution of power between Mogadishu and regional administrations continue to expose deep political fault lines.

With federal troops now controlling Baidoa and a new acting regional president in place, the focus has shifted to how Mogadishu will handle the transition and whether wider political reconciliation can avert further unrest.