Baidoa Tensions Rise as Southwest Leader Orders Assault Against Laftagareen Forces, Al-Shabaab
South West State leader Aadan Madobe has ordered federal and regional forces to launch security operations against Laftagareen-aligned fighters and Al-Shabaab around Baidoa.
BAIDOA, Somalia (Somali Report) — South West State leader Aadan Mohamed Nur Madobe has ordered security forces to launch operations against fighters loyal to former South West leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen as well as Al-Shabaab militants, according to officials and local sources.
Madobe, who recently returned to Baidoa after spending several days in Mogadishu, concluded a series of meetings with officers from Somalia’s federal forces and South West State’s Darawish security units, focusing on the security situation in the regional capital and surrounding areas.
The meetings examined plans to strengthen the defence of Baidoa and secure key roads and strategic locations around the city, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Madobe has previously asked the federal government to provide additional forces to help secure Baidoa. New federal troops were deployed to the city on Sunday as part of a wider security plan, according to local reports.
Sources said Madobe subsequently instructed federal forces and South West Darawish units, many of them drawn from the state’s so-called South West Salvation forces, to establish new positions on the outskirts of Baidoa.
The forces are being prepared for operations targeting locations and bases from which attacks against Baidoa are allegedly being organised, with a particular focus on strengthening the city’s defences and securing key supply and transport routes.
The planned operations are also expected to target Al-Shabaab positions in areas surrounding the city.
Al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than a decade, remains a major security threat across parts of southern and central Somalia and has carried out attacks against government and civilian targets.
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The deployment also comes amid a deepening political dispute in South West State between Madobe and Laftagareen, whose competing claims to political authority have added to tensions in the region.
Laftagareen, who previously led South West State, has rejected the political process surrounding Madobe’s administration, while supporters on both sides have mobilised forces in and around Baidoa.
The confrontation risks adding a new layer to Somalia’s broader political and security tensions, as the federal government seeks to consolidate authority while federal member states maintain their own security structures.
Sources said the federal government had fulfilled earlier commitments made to Madobe regarding technical and security assistance for Baidoa.
The latest security measures are therefore being presented as part of a broader effort to stabilise the city, counter Al-Shabaab and contain forces loyal to Laftagareen.
Madobe has continued holding meetings with military and security officials since his return to Baidoa, according to local sources, as authorities prepare for what officials describe as a renewed security campaign.
The timing and scope of the planned operations remain unclear, and there was no immediate independent confirmation of any new fighting or casualties.
The developments are likely to heighten tensions in South West State, where political divisions have increasingly become intertwined with disputes over security forces and control of territory.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.