Somalia leader sacks three ministers, new ones appointed

Somalian Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has sacked three ministers replacing them immediately with newcomers, the government said on Thursday.

Information Minister, Abdirahman Omar Osman, announcing the sacking on Somalia’s state-owned television, said ministers for foreign affairs, minister for interior and minister for trade were relieved of their duties.

“The foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Garaad Omar; the interior minister, Abdi Farah Juha; and the trade minister, Khadra Ahmed Duale, had been relieved of their duties,” the information ministry said in a statement.

According to Mr. Omar, the prime minister appointed three new individuals to hold three ministerial dockets with an immediate effect.

Trade and industry minister was replaced by Mohamed Abdi Hayir who headed Information in the previous government led by Omar Abdirashid.

Somalia’s current ambassador to the United States, Ahmed Isse Awad, was appointed as the country’s new foreign minister after predecessor, Yussuf Garad, was sacked in the announcement.

Abdi Mohamed Sabriye, a political novice and a businessman, was appointed to be in position of the Interior minister. Juha was expected to pay a visit to Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland today but was suddenly relieved of duty.

There had been a “a dire need” to appoint new ministers to those posts, the statement said, adding that the new cabinet members would help the government tackle its heavy workload.

Last year, the defense minister and the head of military were sacked and replaced.

The head of national security and the police commander were sacked after the country’s deadliest truck bomb attack killed 512 people in October. Both posts have yet to be filled.

The shuffle comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Somali government and several members of parliaments and senators.

Somalia’s leader, former oil and gas executive, was sworn in as the President in March, last year. His government has been criticised for failing to stem attacks by al Shabaab militants.

With the help of African troops, Somalia’s government has been battling insurgents to try to restore peace in the country following decades of conflict.