BAIDOA, Somalia — South West State leader Sheikh Aadan Mohamed Nur Madobe visited security forces deployed around Baidoa on Wednesday, praising them for defending the city during recent fighting and urging them to maintain security, according to a statement from the regional administration.
Madobe inspected positions held by Somali armed forces and South West security units and received briefings on security conditions and operations around Baidoa, the capital of Bay region.
He praised the forces for their performance during an attack by militants described by the administration as Al-Shabaab, which took place days earlier, and commended their efforts to protect civilians and government institutions.
The visit follows heavy clashes in Baidoa on Aug. 17 between federal government troops and forces loyal to former South West State leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. Federal forces drove the opposition forces from the city after hours of fighting, residents told Reuters.
The fighting was among the most serious violence in Baidoa since federal forces seized the city in March after a political dispute with Laftagareen, who later left office. The latest clashes killed dozens of people, including at least four civilians, while nearly 100 people were reported wounded, according to hospital officials.
South West authorities have accused forces aligned with Laftagareen of fighting alongside Al-Shabaab during the Aug. 17 assault, though the circumstances and affiliations of all those involved have been difficult to independently verify.
Madobe, who was elected South West State leader in June and inaugurated in July, said his administration would prioritize strengthening and supporting forces deployed at frontline and strategically important positions.
He urged the troops to continue protecting residents and said people in South West State supported those defending the population and state institutions.
Baidoa is a major political and security centre in southern Somalia and is also home to large numbers of people displaced by conflict, drought and hunger. The city has remained a key battleground in Somalia’s wider struggle with Al-Shabaab, while political tensions between Mogadishu and regional actors have added another layer of instability.
