02/05/2026
Writing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lower Shabelle at Breaking Point: Urgent Demand for International Action
Somali civil society organizations issue a grave and urgent warning: Lower Shabelle is being pushed toward a dangerous and potentially irreversible crisis driven by political manipulation, незаконные power grabs, and rapidly escalating insecurity.
Reliable reports confirm that certain political actors are actively engineering a power-sharing arrangement aimed at consolidating control over land, resources, and parliamentary representation in Lower Shabelle. This reckless pursuit of dominance threatens to ignite widespread violence in a region already strained by marginalization, chronic instability, and deep humanitarian need.
Conditions on the ground are deteriorating at an alarming pace. Civilians are subjected to systematic intimidation, severe restrictions on movement, and exploitation through a network of незаконные checkpoints along the Afgooye–Mogadishu corridor. These abuses are compounding human suffering while further eroding public trust in already fragile governance and security institutions.
Simultaneously, intensifying political interference in Southwest State has destabilized Baidoa, transforming it from a relatively secure city into an increasingly volatile flashpoint. These developments critically undermine the possibility of free, fair, and credible elections and raise serious concerns about the politicization and misuse of state institutions.
If immediate action is not taken, the consequences will be severe: escalating intercommunal violence, mass displacement, and a prolonged cycle of conflict that will destabilize not only Lower Shabelle but the wider region.
We urgently call on:
United Nations human rights mechanisms
International human rights organizations
Regional and global partners
to take immediate and decisive steps, including launching independent investigations, strengthening monitoring mechanisms, and applying meaningful pressure to prevent further escalation.
The window to act is closing rapidly.
Failure to respond will carry catastrophic consequences.
Protecting civilians, upholding constitutional order, and preventing conflict must be treated as an immediate and non-negotiable international priority.
