ISTANBUL

The African Union (AU) on Sunday called on Somali leaders to engage in peaceful dialogue, warning that rising tensions between the federal government and South West state risk undermining the country’s stability, unity, and humanitarian situation.

Expressing concern over the deepening standoff between Mogadishu and South West state, AU Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf urged all sides to exercise maximum restraint to prevent the situation from escalation, according to an AU statement.

He highlighted the National Consultative Council, a platform for dialogue between Somalia’s federal government and states, and urged stakeholders to use it constructively to resolve their differences peacefully.

The statement said AU “stands ready to support dialogue and reconciliation,” reaffirming its support for peace, stability, and state-building efforts in Somalia.

“Underscoring that differences between the Federal Government and Federal Member States should be addressed through dialogue and emphasizing the importance of unity and cooperation,” it added.

Somalia’s South West state suspended cooperation with the federal government on March 17, accusing it of arming militias and attempting to remove President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.

The federal government later declared Laftagareen’s mandate and the state administration has expired.

South West state’s parliament responded by re-electing him for a second term on Saturday, a result immediately rejected by Mogadishu as an “illegal self-election” violating the constitution, electoral laws, and National Consultative Council agreements.