The Somali parliament has approved Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid’s selections to head ministries in the East African nation’s new government, another hopeful sign in a new era of Somali governance.
The ten-member cabinet includes three ministers who served in former President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s transitional government to provide continuity, and a nominee for foreign minister who would be the first woman to hold such a senior position. Her selection and that of another woman named as minister for social services development are a positive reflection of the role Somali women play in all parts of Somali life. Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari pledged to forward the names of all cabinet nominees for approval by parliament quickly in accordance with the country’s new provisional constitution, and lawmakers agreed to the selections Nov. 12.
The United States welcomes the announcement of the new Somali cabinet. Formation of the government culminates a United Nations-backed effort to restore a functioning and effective administration and close 20 years of turmoil and infighting that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Combined with the September 28 securing of the strategic port of Kismayo from al-Shabaab insurgents by the Somali National Forces and an African Union military mission, these signs highlight new opportunities to move forward with the nation’s stabilization. The United States will continue its support for the stabilization of Somalia and its establishment of transparent and accountable governing institutions.
The ten-member cabinet includes three ministers who served in former President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s transitional government to provide continuity, and a nominee for foreign minister who would be the first woman to hold such a senior position. Her selection and that of another woman named as minister for social services development are a positive reflection of the role Somali women play in all parts of Somali life. Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari pledged to forward the names of all cabinet nominees for approval by parliament quickly in accordance with the country’s new provisional constitution, and lawmakers agreed to the selections Nov. 12.
The United States welcomes the announcement of the new Somali cabinet. Formation of the government culminates a United Nations-backed effort to restore a functioning and effective administration and close 20 years of turmoil and infighting that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Combined with the September 28 securing of the strategic port of Kismayo from al-Shabaab insurgents by the Somali National Forces and an African Union military mission, these signs highlight new opportunities to move forward with the nation’s stabilization. The United States will continue its support for the stabilization of Somalia and its establishment of transparent and accountable governing institutions.
