Overview
- Federal troops entered Baidoa on Monday and established control over large sections after firefights with forces loyal to South West State.
- The defence ministry said units conducting anti–al‑Shabaab operations outside the city were attacked by militias, then repelled the assault and captured fighters.
- Regional president Abdiaziz Laftagareen, who hours earlier vowed a "severe" response to any attack, resigned effective March 30 and the finance minister, Ahmed Mohamed Hussein, was named acting president.
- Mogadishu hailed the transition and urged calm, with officials promising no persecution or retaliation as federal forces hold the city.
- Residents described a city emptied by fear as families fled and aid groups paused work, in a crisis rooted in a fight over election rules and constitutional changes that could strain counterinsurgency and election planning.