Southwest President Laftagareen resigns after federal troops seize Baidoa
Soon after the announcement, Southwest finance minister Ahmed Mohamed Hussein was appointed acting president. Authorities gave no additional details about how the handover would unfold.
Monday March 30, 2026
Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen stepped down Monday, just hours after federal government troops and armed groups aligned with regional opposition leaders entered Baidoa following fierce fighting that killed at least two people and injured 25 others.
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“Effective today, March 30, 2026, I, Mr. Abdicasiis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, resign as President of the Southwest State,” Laftagareen said in a post on his official Facebook page, offering no explanation for the move.
Soon after the announcement, Southwest finance minister Ahmed Mohamed Hussein was appointed acting president. Authorities gave no additional details about how the handover would unfold.
Federal troops, supported by armed groups opposed to Laftagareen, seized control of Baidoa on Monday after heavy clashes with forces loyal to the regional administration. The violence began on the city’s outskirts before moving into residential areas.
Medical officials said at least two people were killed and 25 others were wounded. A doctor at Bay Regional General Hospital, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said 25 patients with gunshot and blast injuries were admitted, including five in critical condition. Two more patients arrived later with gunshot wounds.
No official casualty count or damage assessment has yet been released.
Reports suggest Laftagareen and federal authorities had reached an arrangement for a transfer of power that would allow him to leave Baidoa safely, though his next destination remains unknown.
The resignation came only two days after the Southwest regional parliament re-elected Laftagareen for another term, a result the federal government immediately rejected.
The standoff between Mogadishu and Southwest State has deepened in recent weeks over constitutional amendments passed by Somalia’s federal parliament that extend the terms of federal institutions from four years to five.
Several federal member states and opposition groups have rejected the changes, saying they were pushed through without consensus and could weaken Somalia’s fragile federal system.
Monday’s events represent one of the sharpest escalations yet in the dispute, fueling renewed fears over stability in a region already shaken by political rifts and insecurity.
