MOGADISHU — The Security Minister of Somalia’s South West State, Osman Isaq Mohamed, has called on the Kenyan government to arrest former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen and hand him over to the Somali government.
The minister accused Laftagareen of being responsible for attacks and explosions that occurred in Baidoa, and called for international legal mechanisms, including Interpol, to be used to facilitate his return to Somalia to face questioning and possible prosecution.
The call comes after heavy fighting erupted in Baidoa between forces loyal to Laftagareen and forces aligned with Somalia’s federal government and the South West State administration. Government forces later regained control of areas where the clashes had taken place.
Somalia’s federal authorities have also accused forces associated with Laftagareen of receiving support from members of Al-Shabaab and of using vehicles allegedly loaded with explosives during the fighting.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and there is no publicly cited court ruling establishing Laftagareen’s responsibility for the alleged attacks.
Laftagareen has remained in Kenya since leaving Baidoa, according to the account, as tensions between him and the federal government have continued for months over constitutional and electoral issues.
The latest demand adds to growing political and security tensions surrounding South West State and highlights the increasingly contentious relationship between the federal government and political figures opposed to its approach to constitutional and electoral reforms.
