“Severed” or “Suspended”? South West State Sends Mixed Signals on Ties with Somalia’s Federal Government

**Ugas Hassan Abdi Mohamed, spokesman for South West State, addresses the media in Baidoa, stating that the state has “directly severed collaboration” with the Federal Government of Somalia.**

Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — The South West State of Somalia yesterday accused the Federal Government of Somalia of fomenting armed opposition against the incumbent President, Abdiaziz Laftagareen. President Laftagareen further alleged that the Federal Government “is working in cahoots with Al-Shabaab.”

He stated that he had been compelled to suspend his election campaign in order to align the South West State elections with the federal elections scheduled for 2026, should stakeholders reach a consensus on the national electoral model.

In 2024, during the inauguration of Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, President Laftagareen had urged President Deni to rejoin the National Consultative Council, which comprises the Federal Government of Somalia, the Federal Member States, and the Banadir Regional Administration.

**Official written statement issued by the South West State Government announcing the “suspension of its working partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia.”**

In his speech today, President Laftagareen appeared to strike a more emotional tone, what one analyst described as “crocodile tears”, as he indirectly accused the Federal Government of marginalising both Puntland and Jubaland. The latter has been at odds with the Federal Government of Somalia over what it describes as a breach of a prior agreement to postpone its presidential elections in order to harmonise them with the federal electoral timetable.

The state of cooperation between the Federal Government of Somalia and South West State remains uncertain, given the conflicting statements issued yesterday in Baidoa, the interim capital of the South West State.

In a statement delivered to the media, the South West State spokesman, Ugas Hassan Abdi Mohamed, declared that “South West State has directly severed collaboration with the Federal Government of Somalia.” However, a separate written statement issued by the South West State Government indicated that it had “suspended its working partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia until it complies with the Provisional Constitution and respects the federal system of the country.”

When approached for clarification regarding the discrepancy in wording between the two statements, the South West State Ministry of Information declined to comment.