politics
April 1, 2026
Somali troops seize Baidoa after South West State election dispute
Somalia’s federal troops have taken control of Baidoa after South West State leader Abdiaziz Laftagareen was re-elected in a vote Mogadishu denounced as illegal
TL;DR
- Federal troops entered Baidoa, the administrative capital of South West State.
- The intervention followed Mogadishu's rejection of Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen's reelection as regional president.
- Mogadishu deemed the reelection illegal, citing a lack of transparency and legitimacy.
- The South West State administration had previously severed ties with Mogadishu.
- Laftagareen announced his resignation with immediate effect.
- Federal troops entered Baidoa in response to alleged political instability created by the former administration.
- Laftagareen's previous election in 2018 was also disputed and led to protests and deaths.
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