Baidoa

BAIDOA, Somalia — Aden Madobe, Speaker of Somalia’s House of the People, landed in Baidoa on Sunday, setting the stage for a closely watched push to capture the South West State presidency, with what is widely seen as support from Villa Somalia. Madobe, a seasoned politician and senior member of the Justice and Social Partnership (JSP) party, was greeted by local officials in the heavily secured regional capital. Although he has not publicly announced his candidacy, his arrival is being read by political observers as a clear…

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — In a move aimed at reinforcing security after recent political shifts in Southwest state, authorities in Baidoa have prohibited the carrying of heavy weapons inside the city. Bay Regional Police Commander Sadiiq Doodishe announced the restriction on Tuesday, saying machine guns and other heavy weapons would no longer be allowed within Baidoa’s limits. He said the order covers everyone, including government officials. “No one is allowed to carry or use heavy weapons in Baidoa,” Doodishe…

By Abdulkarim AbdulleSaturday April 18, 2026 A recent article from Ethiopia’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) on Baidoa has drawn a sharp rebuttal, with critics saying it distorts events on the ground and misreads Somalia’s constitutional security structure. Although the original piece attempted to place developments in South West State within a wider regional security debate, its argument leaned on conjecture, selective history, and a flawed reading of the Federal Government of Somalia’s responsibilities. The central…

Wednesday April 8, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A fresh political row has broken out over seat HOP204 in Somalia’s House of the People after incumbent lawmaker Isaaq Ali Subag said the post was put to vote while he was still serving in office and had never stepped down. The indirect election, held Tuesday in Baidoa, produced Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur Jama as the winner with 96 votes from delegates. But the result has quickly raised questions about whether the seat was properly declared vacant…

Tuesday April 7, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday night convened a high-level security meeting in Baidoa, just days after mortar fire hit the city’s airport soon after his arrival. The session brought together senior military and security officials and centered on efforts to calm the Southwest region after a period of political turbulence and mounting security risks. According to officials, the president was briefed in detail on plans to step up operations against al-Shabab, improve…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has introduced a nighttime curfew in Baidoa and barred civilians from carrying weapons in the city after dark, allowing only security personnel to do so, officials said. The restrictions were announced amid heightened security concerns tied to recent political shifts in South West State, where tensions have escalated in the wake of changes in the regional administration. Somali Police Commissioner Asad Osman Abdullahi, who has met with police officers in Baidoa over the past…

BAIDOA, Somalia - Somalia’s defense minister, Ahmed Moallin Fiqi, on Monday toured the Sector 3 headquarters of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia in Baidoa, where Ethiopian troops serving under the mission are stationed, officials said. Fiqi used the visit to meet Sector 3 commander Teklu Hurisa Janka and was briefed on current operations, advances in security efforts, and the level of coordination between the Somali National Army and Ethiopian forces deployed in South West state. He expressed…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Southwest State is approaching a decisive political moment, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s talks in Baidoa placing the region squarely between the prospects of peace and the threat of deeper conflict. The president met with traditional elders as tensions mounted over the future of the regional leadership. According to reports, Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, widely known as Lafta-Gareen, has been pushed to the margins amid political maneuvers involving the federal government.…

Sunday April 5, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Sunday with traditional elders in Baidoa, stepping into the center of a delicate push to calm tensions and reinforce governance in Southwest State after recent political unrest. According to Villa Somalia, the talks centered on community reconciliation, support for Somalia’s democratization drive, the worsening drought and wider state-building efforts. The meeting comes days after federal authorities assumed control of Baidoa and installed an…

Friday April 3, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud landed in Baidoa on Friday for his first trip to the Southwest regional capital since the installation of an interim administration and the latest political turmoil in the state. In a statement, Villa Somalia said the visit is intended to speed up the delivery of social services, push forward peace and reconciliation efforts, reinforce governance and support preparations for Somalia’s planned one-person, one-vote elections. The president is expected…