South West Security Minister Urges Kenya to Arrest, Extradite Laftagareen

GOOBJOOG NEWS|BAIDOA: South West State Security Minister Osman Isaaq Mohamed has called on Kenya to arrest former regional president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen and hand him over to Somali authorities, escalating tensions following renewed fighting in Baidoa.

The minister accused Laftagareen of responsibility for recent armed attacks and explosions in the South West State capital, saying Somali authorities want him returned to face accountability.

“We are asking the Kenyan government to arrest Abdiaziz Laftagareen and hand him over to the Somali government through Interpol so that he can be held accountable,” Osman said.

His remarks follow heavy fighting in Baidoa on Monday, when forces loyal to the former president attacked positions held by federal and South West State security forces.

Pro-Laftagareen fighters penetrated parts of the city during the clashes and briefly claimed to have taken control of Baidoa. Government forces subsequently regained the areas after several hours of fighting. Casualties were reported among combatants and civilians, although an independently verified toll has not been established.

Laftagareen later praised forces loyal to him, describing their actions as an operation intended to restore security and order and end what he called the illegal presence of forces in Baidoa.

The Federal Government offered a sharply different account, alleging that fighters loyal to Laftagareen carried out the attack alongside Al-Shabaab members and used vehicles loaded with explosives.

Osman repeated those allegations, claiming that some of Laftagareen’s armed supporters have links to Al-Shabaab. He said fighters who surrender would be processed under procedures used for defectors from the militant group.

“We initially considered them our brothers with grievances, but we have now seen armed people with links to Al-Shabaab. If they surrender, they will undergo the same process applied to those who defect from Al-Shabaab,” he said.

The allegations linking Laftagareen’s forces to Al-Shabaab have not been independently verified, and no court ruling has established the accusations against the former South West State president.

The latest confrontation is rooted in a months-long political dispute between Laftagareen and the Federal Government. His administration severed relations with Mogadishu in March amid disagreements over constitutional amendments and the electoral process.

Federal forces entered Baidoa on March 30, after which Laftagareen announced his resignation and left the city. He has since been based in Kenya, while forces and officials loyal to him have remained active in areas outside Baidoa.

Monday’s fighting marked the most significant attempt by pro-Laftagareen forces to enter Baidoa since the March political upheaval, once again turning the dispute between the former regional leader and the authorities into a direct armed confrontation.