MOGADISHU, Somalia – Up to 100 well-equipped police soldiers have been dispatched troops to Baidoa town, some 250km southwest of Somali capital Mogadishu, ahead of the upcoming presidential elections of South West State region.
The South West State election was scheduled to take place next Wednesday, 5th December, according to Somalia’s regional electoral commission.
The Federal government of Somalia was accused of dispatching 100 police soldiers to Baidoa over unknown reason, according to Former Speaker of Federal, Aden Mohamed Nur “Aden Madobe” who was speaking in Baidoa.
Madobe urged the Federal government to return the troops to Somali capital Mogadishu
There has been turmoil in the region as the elections, which were supposed to take place on November 17, 2018, have been postponed, for the second time, to December 5.
There is also a growing fear that the new scheduled date may yet be put off due to fear of procedural roadblocks and heavy-handedness on the part of the federal government.
The federal government and local South West state politicians agreed to remove South West State president Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, who stepped down and dropped out of the presidential race Nov. 7 after reaching facing huge pressure from Mogadishu.
“The Federal government of Somalia (FGS) in Mogadishu has clear goals: It wants to install its own man as SW president, make plans to influence the 2020 federal elections, and weaken the regional states—a thorn in the side of the federal government”, sources said.
Reliable sources said the FGS has its man in Abdiaziz Hassan, better known as “Lafta Gareen.” He is a federal parliamentarian, an ally of Somalia’s president, Mohamed Farmajo, and a man some critics accuse of lacking independent streak.
Meanwhile, the federal government has also been trying to prevent Mukhtar Robow, a former leader of Al-Shabaab, to run for elections.
Robow, former al Shabaab’s deputy leader defected from the jihadist group and has cooperated with the federal government and its Western allies.
However, Robow is seen by some as a political leader untainted by corruption and someone who can bring stability to the region because he is well-versed with the tactics and inner workings of the militant Al-Shabaab group.
A group of elders, women, intellectuals, and politicians like former speaker Mohamed Jawari has endorsed Robow as the best candidate who can bring change to the region.
