Somali army takes control of strategic city, regional leader resigns
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Somalia’s national army took control of the biggest city in South West state on Monday, prompting regional leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen to resign two weeks after his administration said it was severing ties with the federal government. Reuters said the strategic city of Baidoa is the administrative capital of South West state and hosts peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies.
Local residents told Reuters that federal forces had taken over parts of the city and that it was calm but looked like a ghost town. The report said many residents had fled in the past week and some aid agencies suspended activities because of fears of clashes.
The takeover comes amid a broader dispute over constitutional amendments and the balance of power between Mogadishu and regional administrations. Reuters said the conflict is the latest sign of strain in Somalia’s fragile federal system, where political disputes often open new fault lines.
Laftagareen’s resignation followed his re-election for another five-year term. Somalia’s federal information ministry said the former South West administration had created political conflict and that federal forces were welcomed in Baidoa.
