Somali Prime Minister appoints interim leader for Southwest State during transition

Thursday April 2, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — In a swift move aimed at steadying the Southwest regional state after weeks of political turbulence in Baidoa, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has named Second Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid as interim leader.

A decree released Wednesday by the Office of the Prime Minister said the temporary administration will keep core government operations running, hasten consultations on Somalia’s planned one-person, one-vote electoral process and lay the constitutional groundwork needed for a durable political settlement in the region.

The appointment is intended to maintain the smooth functioning of public institutions in Southwest State, safeguard political stability and ensure the delivery of essential services during the transitional period.

Federal forces recently secured full control of Baidoa, the administrative capital of Southwest State, triggering a rapid shift in local leadership and setting the stage for a new political transition. Mogadishu has described the changes as part of an effort to restore order and push forward democratic reforms, including universal suffrage.

There was another sign of normalcy returning on Tuesday, when commercial flights to Baidoa resumed after being suspended for nearly two weeks. Air traffic had been halted on March 18 as tensions escalated, leaving only United Nations and African Union aircraft allowed to carry out humanitarian and official missions during the shutdown.

The reopening of Baidoa’s airport is an important step toward restoring routine activity in the region, reconnecting the city with the rest of the country and easing the movement of civilians, officials and aid workers.

These developments underscore the uneasy balance within Somalia’s federal system, where disputes over power-sharing, constitutional revisions and electoral arrangements continue to influence the country’s shifting political landscape.