The African Union has urged Somali leaders to engage in peaceful dialogue as tensions rise between the federal government in Mogadishu and authorities in South West state, warning the dispute could threaten national stability.
African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf cautioned that further escalation may deepen Somalia’s already fragile humanitarian situation, calling on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid confrontation.
He stressed that the National Consultative Council remains the appropriate forum for resolving political disagreements and reaffirmed the AU’s readiness to support dialogue, reconciliation and ongoing state-building efforts.
The crisis intensified after South West state suspended cooperation with the federal government on March 17, accusing Mogadishu of arming militias and attempting to remove regional President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen from office.
Federal authorities responded by declaring that Laftagareen’s mandate had expired.
On Saturday, however, South West state’s parliament re-elected him for a second term.
Mogadishu swiftly rejected the vote, describing it as an illegal self-election that violates the constitution and previously agreed political arrangements.
The growing standoff risks undermining years of fragile progress toward national unity, prompting the African Union to call for calm and constructive engagement at a critical moment for Somalia.