Somalia’s Southwest State Accuses Federal Officials of Al-Shabaab Links
Southwest State Security Minister Hassan Abdulkadir told reporters the fighters are outside Somalia’s official security structure and behave like extremist insurgents.
Somalia’s Southwest State has accused senior federal officials of maintaining links with Al-Shabaab and arming local militias, sharpening its standoff with Mogadishu.
Authorities in Baidoa alleged that federal ministers and lawmakers have organized and supplied armed groups operating in Buurhakaba district in the Bay region.
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Southwest State Security Minister Hassan Abdulkadir told reporters the fighters are outside Somalia’s official security structure and behave like extremist insurgents.
These groups are not government forces. It is clear they are being used to undermine security and destabilize the regional administration.
Hassan Abdulkadir, the Southwest State security minister, told reporters.
The federal government in Mogadishu did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations.
The accusations came a day after Southwest State said it was suspending all cooperation with the central government, citing repeated interference in its internal political and security affairs. Regional officials have accused the administration of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of seeking to weaken the leadership of Southwest President Abdiaziz Laftagareen.
Reports and social media footage suggested the Somali National Army’s 60th Division, headquartered in Baidoa, has signaled solidarity with the regional administration’s position over the federal government.
The dispute underscores intensifying strains in Somalia’s federal system. Southwest State’s move follows similar steps by Puntland State and Jubbaland as regional leaders push back against proposed constitutional changes and the federal framework for upcoming elections.
