Payne Sees New Somali Cabinet as a Sign of Hope

Washington, DC – Last month, President Sheik Sharif Ahmed appointed Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a Somali¬American dual citizen, as the new prime minster of Somalia. The Transitional Federal Parliament approved Mr. Mohamed’s nomination on October 31. Prime Minister Mohamed moved quickly to appoint a new, leaner cabinet of just eighteen ministers ¬¬a reduction in number of more than half of the previous cabinet ¬¬with technical, rather than purely political, expertise. The cabinet is awaiting approval from the Somali Parliament, but troubling news reports indicate that certain members of parliament are deliberately stalling the approval processRead More