Somalia’s federal authorities have announced the end of the Southwest State administration’s term in office, signalling it was time for a new local leadership.
Federal officials say they are initiating a transition process to replace the state administration which has been up in arms against this prospect.
The weekend announcement comes after a deepening political rift between the federal government and Southwest State administration whose speaker Ali Said Fiqi accused Mogadishu of misusing Egyptian military aid to fuel civil strife.
Fiqi said that the huge small arms aid by Egypt was never intended to protect ordinary Somali citizens or used within the context of resolving internal political disputes.
On Saturday, lawmakers, most of whom represent the Southwest State administration, were reportedly stopped at Aden Adde International Airport by security officials while attempting to board international flights during a scheduled parliamentary recess.
In a formal statement, the federal interior ministry issued over the weekend asserted that President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, popularly known as Laftagareen, no longer holds a valid mandate ver the state’s affairs.
The ministry stated it has been tasked with overseeing the selection of new leadership to prevent a power vacuum in that part of Somalia.
The move marks a significant fracture in the delicate relationship between Mogadishu and the federal member states, soe of which are demanding greater autonomy or have declared total independence in the case of the breakaway region of Somaliland whose status remains unresolved after 35 years.
A civil strife which continued after the overthrow of Siad Barre in the early 1990s had threatened to disintegrate Somalia with state authorities asserting more political control on their affairs, compromising Mogadishu’s central authority over them.
Federal officials argued that the latest move is a necessary step to upholding constitutional timelines, while supporters of the Southwest leadership have previously signaled that any attempt by the central government to intervene in regional tenures would be viewed as an unlawful encroachment which would be rejected.
The ministry said the decision was aimed at preventing an administrative vacuum and maintaining stability, while ensuring the continuity of public services amid political and security challenges in the region.
MG/as/APA