Mogadishu (WDN)– Former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed (Laftagareen) has launched a blistering attack on the recent elections held across major cities in South West State, declaring them “illegal” and devoid of any constitutional legitimacy.
In strongly worded remarks, Laftagareen accused the current process of violating both the constitution and the political framework underpinning Somalia’s federal system. He argued that the elections neither reflected the will of the people nor adhered to the agreed democratic procedures governing the administration of South West State.
It is important to note that before his removal from power by Villa Somalia, former South West State President Laftagareen had presided over a predetermined and tightly controlled election process that effectively guaranteed his re-election while systematically sidelining opposition figures. The predetermined election orchestrated by Laftagareen was not fundamentally different from the corrupted political processes later overseen by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
According to Laftagareen, what took place was not a legitimate transfer of power, but a politically engineered process imposed through force and federal interference.
“The so-called elections do not represent the people of South West State,” he reportedly stated. “They bypassed constitutional order and undermined the political agreements that hold the federal system together.”
The former president went even further, insisting that he remains the lawful leader of South West State following the dramatic events of March 30, when, according to his supporters, Federal Government forces forcibly removed his administration from power.
Laftagareen’s comments reopen one of the most contentious political disputes in Somalia, where questions surrounding electoral legitimacy, federal overreach, and the use of state security forces continue to fuel deepening instability.
Political observers say the South West crisis is rapidly becoming part of a wider national breakdown. Puntland and Jubaland have already severed ties with the Federal Government, while internal divisions continue to intensify inside Galmudug and Hirshabelle.
The renewed confrontation in South West State comes at an especially volatile moment, with Somalia facing mounting political uncertainty, disputes over elections, and growing fears that the country is sliding toward another dangerous constitutional crisis.
Sources close to Laftagareen’s camp say his supporters still view the current administration in Baidoa as lacking both legal and political legitimacy, a perception that threatens to deepen divisions inside one of Somalia’s most strategically important federal member states.
Analysts warn that unless a broad political settlement is reached, the escalating standoff could further destabilize South West State at a time when the region continues to face persistent threats from Al-Shabaab and widening political fragmentation across the country.
WardheerNews