Baidoa Clashes Intensify Between Federal Forces, Opposition

Heavy fighting broke out in Baidoa as Somalia’s federal troops clashed with armed opposition groups, including militias loyal to the former Baidoa president, in the city center and surrounding approaches. The clashes come as Baidoa, a large urban center hosting international peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies, remains a hotspot in a region already grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis and widespread displacement. Local accounts describe heavy weapons being used and civilians killed by stray bullets, underscoring the risk to residents as fighting intensifies. Federal forces have controlled Baidoa since March, a development that prompted the resignation of the South West state leader, though rival claims about control and advances continue to surface. Observers warn that renewed hostilities threaten to worsen malnutrition and access to aid for displaced populations, with MSF noting alarming rates of severe malnutrition among children at displacement sites. While one side asserts battlefield gains, independent verification remains limited, illustrating the fragile and contested security situation in Baidoa.