Tuesday 7 April 2025 {HMC} Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud chaired a high-level security conference in Baidoa on Monday night, days after a mortar attack targeted the city’s airport shortly after his arrival.
The meeting, attended by senior military and security officials, focused on stabilizing the Southwest region following recent political upheaval and escalating security threats.
According to officials, the president received detailed briefings on plans to intensify operations against al-Shabab, strengthen coordination among security agencies and restore public order in Baidoa, the interim capital of Southwest State.
Mohamud emphasized the need for unified command structures and tighter control over armed groups operating outside formal state institutions.
“We must work together to ensure security and bring all armed forces under official command,” the president told participants, stressing the importance of rebuilding public confidence in state institutions.
The conference was attended by Interim Southwest leader Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi, along with federal security chiefs and regional officials.
The meeting came after mortars struck near Baidoa airport shortly after the president landed last week. Security analysts described the attack as a significant security breach, underscoring the fragility of the situation in the city.
In response, authorities have imposed a nighttime curfew in Baidoa, banning the carrying of weapons after dark except by authorized security forces, including the police and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).
Somali Police Force Commander Brig. Gen. Asad Osman Abdullahi, who has been overseeing security operations in the city, ordered an immediate tightening of security measures. These include increased night patrols and enhanced screening of vehicles and individuals entering Baidoa.
Police have been tasked with maintaining internal security within the city, while the Somali National Army has positioned forces around Baidoa to reinforce defensive perimeters.
Armed groups that have not yet been formally integrated into the national army have been ordered to remain in their camps during the integration process, and are prohibited from bringing weapons into the city.
The security measures follow the federal government’s recent takeover of Baidoa and the appointment of an interim administration after political tensions led to the resignation of Southwest President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.
Federal authorities have said they intend to restore order and prepare the region for Somalia’s planned one-person, one-vote electoral process, even as security concerns and political divisions continue to test the country’s fragile federal framework.
Source Hiiraan Online
