Somalia’s South West state has suspended all cooperation with the federal government in Mogadishu, accusing it of arming militias and attempting to remove regional president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. The diplomatic rupture follows disputes over constitutional amendments pushed by Mogadishu. Following similar recent boycotts by Puntland, Jubbaland, and the long-breakaway Somaliland, Mogadishu’s actual governing authority is rapidly shrinking, leaving the central government increasingly isolated. This situation favors Al-Shabaab insurgents and local militias, providing them with operational breathing room as federal and regional security forces turn their political focus against each other. But for the average Somali citizen, the development has increased uncertainty over the country’s stability. Without credible dialogue, this cascading collapse of federal cooperation threatens to permanently balkanize Somalia, reversing decades of painstaking international state-building and security efforts.
Reuters
