Mogadishu — Somalia's federal police command has announced a leadership reshuffle in the Bay region as authorities face worsening insecurity and deepening political tensions in the southwest.

In an official statement, the police command said new officers had been appointed to key positions, including Sadiiq Adan Ali as commander of the Bay regional police division, and Adan Mohamed Ahmed as head of the police station in Baidoa.

The appointments are part of efforts by the federal government to restructure and strengthen security operations in Bay, where incidents of insecurity and public complaints over safety have risen in recent months.

However, the move comes amid an escalating political dispute between Somalia's federal government and the Southwest State administration.

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Regional authorities have made parallel appointments, with Southwest President Abdulaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen naming senior officer Mukhtar Dugudow as police commander of Baidoa, in a step seen as contradicting the federal government's decision.

The competing appointments underline growing divisions between the two sides, which have strained cooperation and heightened political tensions.

The Southwest administration recently announced it was suspending ties with the federal government, raising concerns over the stability and security of Bay region and surrounding areas.

Analysts say the overlapping security decisions could further complicate command structures on the ground, at a time when coordinated efforts are seen as critical to addressing insecurity in southwest Somalia.