Somalia parliament speaker raises security concerns over South West state

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s parliament speaker Abdikadir Mohamed Nur Jama has called on the federal government to explain security lapses in the country’s South West state, accusing some political actors of supporting Al-Shabaab militants.

Jama hosted a dinner in Mogadishu for lawmakers from both chambers of the federal parliament representing South West state, with senior government officials attending, including South West leader Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, Deputy Speaker of the House of the People Abdullahi Omar Abshirow and Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi. The meeting focused on the security and political situation in South West, a strategic region in southwestern Somalia that has faced persistent insecurity and political tensions.

Addressing the gathering, Jama thanked lawmakers for attending and warned that alleged cooperation between politicians and Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group, could have serious consequences for the country if left unaddressed. He described such cooperation as contrary to Somali political traditions and urged authorities to take the matter seriously.

The speaker also called on the federal government to hold peacekeeping forces accountable over the presence of Al-Shabaab militants in areas where the troops had previously been deployed. He questioned why the militants remained in locations that had been under the control or responsibility of security forces, calling for explanations from the government over the circumstances.

Jama further raised concerns about a suspected Al-Shabaab member who, he said, had been placed on Somalia’s government blacklist but continued to reside in known locations in neighbouring Kenya without action being taken against him. He said the federal government should be asked to explain why the individual had not been apprehended.

The remarks come amid continuing security challenges in Somalia, where federal and regional forces, supported by international partners, are fighting Al-Shabaab, which has carried out attacks against security forces, government officials and civilians. South West state, which includes the strategically important city of Baidoa, has also been at the centre of political tensions as rival factions compete for influence in the region.

The meeting brought together lawmakers and senior officials at a time when security and political developments in South West remain significant concerns for Somalia’s federal authorities. The speaker’s statements were not accompanied by publicly presented evidence detailing the alleged political links to Al-Shabaab or identifying the individual reportedly living in Kenya.

Jama hosted a dinner in Mogadishu for lawmakers from both chambers of the federal parliament representing South West state, with senior government officials attending, including South West leader Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, Deputy Speaker of the House of the People Abdullahi Omar Abshirow and Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi.

The meeting focused on the security and political situation in South West, a strategic region in southwestern Somalia that has faced persistent insecurity and political tensions.

Addressing the gathering, Jama thanked lawmakers for attending and warned that alleged cooperation between politicians and Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group, could have serious consequences for the country if left unaddressed.

He described such cooperation as contrary to Somali political traditions and urged authorities to take the matter seriously.

The speaker also called on the federal government to hold peacekeeping forces accountable over the presence of Al-Shabaab militants in areas where the troops had previously been deployed.

He questioned why the militants remained in locations that had been under the control or responsibility of security forces, calling for explanations from the government over the circumstances.