Fighting intensified in Somalia on Monday as government forces and supporters of an ousted regional governor clashed, with fighter jets and drones reportedly deployed in the conflict.
The fighting is linked to tensions between Somalia’s federal government and regional authorities opposed to what they describe as an increasing concentration of power under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
In March, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, governor of Somalia’s South West State, was ousted. His supporters have since mobilised local forces in a fight for control of the region and its central town, Baidoa.
Somalia’s Ministry of Defence said government forces had regained control of Baidoa.
The claim was disputed by fighters opposed to the government. One fighter said on Monday that their forces were advancing inside the city despite the deployment of aircraft.
“Our forces are advancing in the city. Fighter jets are flying over the city, but they are not deterring us,” the fighter said.
The latest clashes add to Somalia’s continuing political and security tensions, with several regions resisting moves by the federal government to consolidate its authority.
The competing claims over control of Baidoa could not be independently verified from the information available.
