Southwest State Designates Former President Laftagareen and His Forces as ‘Terrorists’
South West State has formally designated former President Abdiaziz Laftagareen and forces loyal to him as “terrorists,” deepening tensions in Baidoa and escalating the political standoff with his administration.
BAIDOA, Somalia (Somali Report) — The South West State cabinet has designated former regional president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen and forces loyal to him as terrorists, escalating an already bitter political crisis and continued attacks in Baidoa city.
The decision was announced after an emergency meeting of the South West State Council of Ministers in Baidoa, chaired by current President Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe.
The cabinet said the meeting focused on the deteriorating security situation in the region and reviewed what it described as evidence of cooperation between Al-Shabaab and forces loyal to Laftagareen.
South West authorities said recent attacks in Baidoa involved explosives and were jointly carried out by Laftagareen’s forces and Al-Shabaab militants.
The administration did not provide independently verifiable evidence of joint operations, and the allegations could not immediately be confirmed by independent sources.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the cabinet said it had examined comments attributed to Laftagareen concerning attacks carried out in Baidoa in recent days.
According to the statement, Laftagareen said in an interview that his forces and Al-Shabaab fighters were able to live peacefully alongside each other in areas where they were present.
South West authorities said the comments, together with what they described as evidence of coordinated activities, demonstrated cooperation and shared interests between the two sides.
“After thoroughly analysing the interview given by Abdiaziz, in which he said that his forces and Al-Shabaab could peacefully coexist and live in the areas where they are present, as well as the actions they carried out together, the council officially recognized Laftagareen and his militias as terrorists who have joined and merged with Al-Shabaab,” the statement said.
The cabinet also condemned what it described as terrorist activities, armed violence, bomb attacks and any attempt to undermine security in areas under South West State administration.
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The designation marks a major escalation in the dispute between Laftagareen and the administration of Aadan Madoobe.
Laftagareen, who previously served as president of South West State, has been engaged in a growing confrontation with the current administration and the federal government in Mogadishu.
The latest tensions have centred on Baidoa, the administrative capital of South West State, where political divisions have increasingly overlapped with security concerns.
The South West cabinet called on Somalia’s federal government to increase its military and security support to the regional administration.
It also urged Mogadishu and South West State to adopt a unified approach in confronting Laftagareen’s forces and Al-Shabaab.
“The Federal Government of Somalia and South West State will jointly deal with them in the same manner as terrorist groups,” the cabinet said, calling for stronger security and military assistance.
The decision comes as Somalia continues to face a complex security environment, with Al-Shabaab maintaining an insurgency against the federal government while political disputes between Mogadishu and regional authorities remain unresolved.
The South West administration said it would continue opposing armed violence and attempts to destabilize areas under its control.
The designation of a former regional president and his forces as terrorists could further deepen political divisions and complicate efforts to coordinate security operations in South West State, particularly as the federal government seeks to strengthen its authority and combat Al-Shabaab.
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.