Somalian Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Tuesday named the country’s new cabinet, some 40 days after he took office, reported The CGTN Africa.
In a televised address, Barre announced that the 26 names nominated were done in consultation with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“After much deliberation with the president and the public, I have named cabinet ministers who have education and experience and they will fulfill their duties,” the Somalian prime minister said.
He said he expects the newly named cabinet will respond to the needs of the country.
The new cabinet list includes the name of Mukhtar Robow, a former deputy leader and spokesman for the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, as religion minister. It is feared that the big move could either help strengthen the fight against the insurgency or provoke clan clashes.
Notably, Robow once had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head before he split from al Shabaab in 2013. The previous government arrested him December 2018 in Somalia’s South West region as he campaigned for the regional presidency. After his arrest, there were deadly protests between his supporters and the regional forces in which at least 15 people lost their lives.
The Cabinet appointment list also include Salah Ahmed Jama as the deputy prime minister, Abshir Omar Huruse as foreign minister, and Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur as defense minister.
The nominated ministers will still have to be approved by cabinet before they take office.
The Prime Minister urged Parliamentarians to greelight their appointments, and also asked citizens to cooperate with the new government.
The new Somalian government faces a host of challenges, including a looming famine and the ongoing Islamist insurgency.
A severe drought across the Horn of Africa has left about 7.1 million Somalis, nearly half the population, battling hunger, with more than 200,000 on the brink of starvation, according to UN figures.
