Southwestern Somalia
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South West State of Somalia Koonfur-Galbeed Soomaaliya (SO)
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Flag
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Location of the South West State within Somalia
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| Capital | Baidoa |
| Official languages | |
| Government | Regional administration |
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• President
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Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden |
| Population | |
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• 2015 estimate
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5,284,633 |
| Currency | Somali shilling |
| Calling code | 252 |
| Internet TLD | .so |
The South West State of Somalia (Somali: Koonfur-Galbeed Soomaaliya), also known as the Interim South West Administration, is an autonomous region in southwestern Somalia. It was founded by Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, leader of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) on 1 April 2002. After its dissolution in 2005, the territory was re-established in November 2009 as an official Federal Member State of Somalia.
The territory was known as the Southwestern State of Somalia (SWS) (Somali: Dowlad Goboleedka Koonfur-Galbeed ee Soomaaliya), and intended to consist of six Somali administrative regions (gobolka): Bay, Bakool, Middle Juba (Jubada Dhexe), Lower Shabelle (Shabeelada Hoose), Gedo and Lower Juba (Jubada Hoose) regions. The establishment of the autonomous state was a move to show the disaffection of the RRA with the nascent Mogadishu-based Transitional National Government (TNG), and an act to counter the influence of the Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) in the same regions. In 2005, the state was dissolved after its leader Shatigadud had joined the Transitional Federal Parliament in November 2004. He became Minister of Finance in January 2005 in the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), the TNG's successor.
In December 2013, a convention began in Baidoa between Federal Government officials and local representatives with the aim of establishing an autonomous state in the area under the Provision Federal Constitution. Two simultaneous political processes for the establishment of a new Southwestern State of Somalia were underway: one led by former Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, which proposed a three-region state consisting of the Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle provinces; another led by traditional elders of Digil Mirifle, which proposed instead the re-establishment of a six-region Southwestern Somalia state consisting of the Bay, Bakool, Lower Shabelle, Gedo, Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba provinces.
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