Southwest Leader Urges Stronger Role for Elders in Peacebuilding

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BAIDOA: Somalia’s Southwest State interim leader Jabril Abdirashid Haji has promised to foster closer cooperation with traditional elders to advance peace building efforts across the region.

Speaking during a consultative meeting in Baidoa, Haji said elders remain central to resolving disputes, maintaining stability and fostering unity within communities, urging them to intensify their role in reconciliation initiatives.

He emphasized that his administration is prioritizing collaboration with traditional leaders to address local challenges and strengthen social cohesion, describing peace building as essential to long-term stability and development.

Elders welcomed the engagement and pledged to work with authorities to support reconciliation efforts and promote harmony across South West State.

The meeting comes amid a fragile security and political climate in the region, where tensions linked to recent leadership changes and disputes with Mogadishu have raised concerns about stability.

South West State also remains a key front in ongoing operations against Al-Shabaab, with analysts warning that sustained peace at the community level is critical to preventing local conflicts from undermining broader security gains.