Wednesday October 21, 2026
Nairobi (HOL) — Former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen called Monday for the withdrawal of federal troops from the Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions and urged Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to step aside
In an open letter addressed to Somalis, opposition groups, international partners and political leaders, Laftagareen accused Mohamud’s government of using military force to impose its preferred political order in South West State and called for negotiations on a new regional electoral process.
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“The people of Southwest State have the right to choose their leaders through an agreed electoral process, not one imposed by force,” the letter said.
Laftagareen said the dispute with Mohamud began over constitutional amendments and Somalia’s electoral model. He argued that he had pushed for a regional election after his own mandate expired but rejected what he described as efforts by the federal government to determine when South West State should vote.
He accused Mohamud of subsequently deploying federal troops to Baidoa to remove his administration.
Laftagareen also alleged that federal forces received support from al-Shabab and Turkish F-16 aircraft during operations against his administration, including an alleged strike targeting Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Adan, known as Mahad Shub, in Doolow.
He offered no independently verifiable evidence in the letter for those allegations, and neither the Somali government nor Turkish authorities have publicly confirmed that Turkish F-16s were used in attacks against Laftagareen-aligned forces.
Laftagareen further accused the federal government of falsely portraying his Dervish forces as al-Shabab fighters to justify military action against them.
The allegations come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between his group and Mogadishu. On Oct. 13, Somalia’s National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Committee imposed financial sanctions on Laftagareen and nine others over suspected links to al-Shabab and ordered financial institutions to freeze their assets. The committee said it had reviewed information indicating suspected cooperation with or financial support for the militant group but did not publicly release evidence against each individual.
Laftagareen and his allies have rejected accusations that they cooperate with al-Shabab.
His forces have meanwhile made a series of territorial gains in Bay region. They seized Qansaxdheere, Buurhakaba and Berdaale and entered several other areas this month, according to residents and local reports. The fighting has widened a confrontation that had previously centered largely on Baidoa.
Laftagareen also used the letter to accuse the federal government of intimidating journalists covering the conflict and of circulating an artificially altered image linking one of his officials to an al-Shabab commander.
The Somali Journalists Syndicate reported Tuesday that journalists in South West State had faced arrests, threats and intimidation from forces on different sides of the conflict. It said five journalists had fled the region since late August and eight others were in hiding. The group also documented the detention of a Buurhakaba journalist by Laftagareen-aligned forces after they captured the town.
Laftagareen called for an immediate halt to military operations, withdrawal of federal troops, an end to threats against civilians and journalists, and inclusive negotiations over South West State’s electoral process.
He also appealed to Somali opposition groups and international partners to support mediation and pressure the federal government to return to talks.
In one of his strongest demands, Laftagareen called on Mohamud “to step aside before the crisis deepens.”
The confrontation has repeatedly erupted into heavy fighting in Baidoa since August, with federal troops and forces supporting the current South West administration battling Laftagareen-aligned Dervish units.
The latest dispute comes as Somalia is already facing a broader national political standoff over constitutional changes and the framework for federal elections, while security forces continue operations against al-Shabab in southern and central Somalia.