Baidoa — Abdiaziz Laftagareen, President of the Southwest State of Somalia, has sharply criticized several federal member states and some politicians, accusing them of acting as agents for foreign interests and implementing external agendas within Somalia.

In a statement addressing the country's ongoing political turmoil, Laftagareen firmly denied any involvement by his administration in cooperating with foreign countries or facilitating their agendas in Somalia.

"Southwest State has never been implicated in any ties with foreign countries nor allowed their agendas to be executed within its territory," he said.

His comments come amid a deepening political crisis in Somalia as the federal government's mandate nears expiration, raising concerns over stability and governance.

Laftagareen called on all political actors to avoid being pawns of foreign powers and urged unity and stability to steer the country towards development.

At present, Ethiopian troops are responsible for protecting 10 districts in Southwest State, providing a vital bulwark against the threat of Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked group.