Somalia appoints new custodial corps commander amid Federal-Southwest tensions
General Hamud has held a string of senior posts in Somalia’s security and political institutions, including leadership roles within the police and intelligence services as well as ministerial positions, according to officials.
Wednesday March 25, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s cabinet has named a new head of the Somali Custodial Corps, a leadership change that comes as tensions deepen between the federal government and the Southwest administration.
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During its weekly session chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, the Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved the appointment of General Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud as commander of the Somali Custodial Corps, replacing General Mahad Abdirahman. The Ministry of Justice put forward the nomination, which ministers endorsed at the meeting.
General Hamud has held a string of senior posts in Somalia’s security and political institutions, including leadership roles within the police and intelligence services as well as ministerial positions, according to officials.
The outgoing commander, General Mahad Abdirahman, is the son-in-law of Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. Political observers widely interpret his removal as another flashpoint in an increasingly heated standoff between Mogadishu and the Southwest administration.
The broader dispute has sharpened in recent weeks after both houses of the Federal Parliament passed constitutional amendments. Those revisions extend the mandate of federal institutions from four to five years, a change rejected by authorities in Southwest, Puntland State and Jubbaland, along with several opposition groups.
Southwest State has also aligned with Puntland State and Jubbaland in formally suspending relations with the federal government, accusing Mogadishu of meddling in its internal affairs.
Federal officials, for their part, say President Laftagareen’s term has expired and accuse him of continuing to govern without a legal mandate. Southwest leaders and their supporters counter that the federal government’s steps amount to unconstitutional interference in regional matters.
In recent moves that underscore the strain, Southwest State has suspended all commercial and private flights to and from its airports, citing security concerns, while Mogadishu has been accused of deploying troops to parts of the region.