SNA Forces Seize Baidoa — Southwest State Capital Falls; Laftagareen Resigns

In a dramatic escalation of Somalia's constitutional crisis, SNA forces advancing along the Mogadishu–Baidoa road corridor — supported by allied 'South West Salvation' forces — entered and seized Baidoa, the Southwest State capital approximately 245 km northwest of Mogadishu, after heavy fighting with Southwest State security forces loyal to President Laftagareen. Ethiopian AUSSOM troops stationed at the presidential palace and airport were instructed to stand aside and did not participate in the fighting. Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen formally resigned on March 30 amid the SNA advance, bringing a sudden end to the standoff that began on March 17 when he suspended federal relations. Finance Minister Ahmed Mohamed Hussein was named acting president of Southwest State. The takeover drew immediate condemnation from Jubbaland and Puntland, and the UN called for restraint. UNHCR reported over 50,000 civilians newly displaced from the Southwest State clashes in the preceding two weeks. Several international aid agencies suspended operations in Baidoa during the fighting.