Former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has called for an international investigation into recent attacks in the Baidoa and Doolow areas. In a letter to the United States, United Nations, European Union, African Union, IGAD, diplomatic missions, and Somali opposition groups, Laftagareen alleged that federal forces carried out a six-month military campaign against his former administration. He claimed that aircraft were used to strike villages surrounding Baidoa, resulting in civilian and livestock casualties.
Laftagareen's allegations include claims that Cessna aircraft based at Mogadishu's international airport were used in the operations. The letter did not provide casualty figures or supporting evidence for these allegations. Somalia's federal government has previously described forces loyal to Laftagareen as armed militias seeking to destabilize South West State and has accused them of fighting alongside al-Shabab, a claim Laftagareen denies.
The federal government has not publicly substantiated Laftagareen's claims of an arrangement with al-Shabab. Laftagareen also repeated an accusation that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's government reached arrangements with al-Shabab in March to allow federal forces to travel along roads controlled by the militant group as they advanced toward Baidoa. Laftagareen's letter refers to Mohamud as a "former president," reflecting an opposition position that his constitutional mandate expired in May.
An explosion occurred on September 3 at the Doolow residence of former Somali Custodial Corps commander Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Aden. Laftagareen accused the federal government and Turkish F-16 aircraft of involvement in the attack. However, independent reporting has not established that an F-16 was involved, and initial reports described the incident as a drone strike. The federal government denied carrying out an airstrike and said preliminary information indicated that explosives being handled inside the compound caused the blast.
Laftagareen asked international partners to investigate the Doolow incident, alleged airstrikes near Baidoa, and the role of federal forces in South West State. He also urged them to demand an end to military operations and ensure investigators have access to affected communities, witnesses, aircraft, and flight and command records. The letter comes amid one of Somalia's most serious federal-regional confrontations this year.
Federal forces took control of Baidoa on March 30 after a political dispute between Laftagareen and Mohamud's government. Laftagareen subsequently stepped down and left the city, but his supporters have continued to reject the new regional administration and retain armed forces outside Baidoa. Fighting has repeatedly broken out since then, resulting in casualties and displacement.
The dispute is part of broader tensions between Mogadishu and several regional and opposition leaders over constitutional amendments and the federal government's plan to replace Somalia's longstanding indirect electoral system with direct voting. Laftagareen described the fighting as an assault on South West State rather than a counterterrorism campaign and urged international partners to hold accountable anyone found responsible for attacks on civilians.
Key points
- Laftagareen accused Somalia's federal government of carrying out attacks on civilians and political opponents in the Baidoa and Doolow areas.
- The federal government has denied Laftagareen's allegations and described forces loyal to him as armed militias seeking to destabilize South West State.
- The conflict is part of broader tensions between Mogadishu and regional leaders over constitutional amendments and electoral reforms.
