Somalia security adviser rejects claims linking President Mohamud to Al-Shabab

Monday March 30, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s national security adviser, Awes Haji Yusuf Ahmed, has rejected accusations from Southwest State that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud backs the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabab militant group, branding the claims unfounded and reckless.

In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Ahmed said the president’s government has spearheaded major counterterrorism offensives that have weakened the insurgency and recaptured strategic areas.

“Claims that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud supports Al-Shabab are baseless and irresponsible,” Ahmed said. “Records clearly show that the group’s financial lifelines have been systematically targeted and disrupted. The undeniable truth is that terrorists are facing their worst defeat in history at this time.”

He said the relative security now seen in Mogadishu is the product of stronger state institutions and closer intelligence cooperation with international partners.

“These allegations undermine national unity and only distract from the country’s progress, electoral processes, and collective efforts to defeat extremism,” he said.

The response followed a statement from Southwest State officials who voiced alarm over what they described as covert coordination between the federal government and Al-Shabab. The regional administration said it had evidence of collusion, including the movement of troops and military equipment through territory controlled by militants.

“The Southwest Government views this as a direct threat to national security, the unity of the country, and the safety of the Somali people,” the statement said.

Somalia’s federal Ministry of Information dismissed the claims as misinformation and turned the accusations back on Southwest State leaders. Mogadishu said Southwest President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen and regional parliament Speaker Ali Said Fiqi had ties to Al-Shabab, allegations the regional administration has not publicly answered.

On Sunday, Somali National Army (SNA) troops and allied fighters pushing toward Baidoa were ambushed by Al-Shabab militants in the Daynuuney area of the Bay region.

In a federal government statement, officials said more than 20 militants were killed and that roadblocks set up by the insurgents were removed.

“The operation resulted in the killing of more than 20 members of the Khawarij and the destruction of checkpoints they had set up,” the government said, using its term for Al-Shabab.

The exchange comes amid mounting political and security friction between Mogadishu and Southwest State, fueling concerns that the dispute could spill into open confrontation. At the heart of the standoff are contested regional elections and constitutional amendments that would extend the terms of federal institutions from four years to five, changes opposed by several federal member states and opposition blocs.

Southwest State says the federal government is interfering in its internal affairs, while federal officials insist they are operating within the constitutional order.

International partners, including the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations, have urged calm and pressed Somali leaders to settle their differences through dialogue.