Somali members of parliament gathered on the presidential palace within the capital, Mogadishu, Sunday and overwhelmingly endorsed new Cabinet ministers appointed by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre final week. During the vote, a number of mortar explosions hit the capital.
Somali parliament speaker Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe advised the gathering on the palace’s extremely fortified villa Hargaisa that 229 members of parliament voted in favor of the Cabinet, seven voted in opposition to it and one abstained.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre addressed parliament after the vote and welcomed the result.
He mentioned, “I want to pledge another time that we will work on how to help our people who are facing droughts, to work on security and implement our program that is in front of you while we are working with unity and accountability to overcome all the challenges we are facing. I want to thank you again for your overwhelming approval.”
Among the ministers whom parliament endorsed was Mukhtar Robow Ali, often known as Abu Munsor — the previous deputy chief and spokesman in militant group al-Shabab. He is now turning into the non secular affairs minister.
Mursal Mohamed Khaliif, a member of the federal parliament, spoke to VOA in regards to the approval course of.
“Despite a handful of members of parliament trying to create chaos during the proceedings, the overwhelming majority of parliamentarians, 229 of them, voted in favor of approving the new Cabinet. I am very excited to have been a part of those proceedings and I wish all the new Cabinet success in executing their duties,” he mentioned.
Anwar Abdifatah Bashir, a lecturer at Somali National University and a Horn of Africa political analyst, VOA by telephone that the brand new authorities is taking on at a vital time.
“This comes as Somalia is facing a number of challenges including, but not limited, to protracted drought, insecurity within the country, as well as the border with Ethiopia where al-Shabab recently attacked in the Somali region in Ethiopia,” he mentioned.
During the vote within the capital, a number of mortar shells hit the town.
Eyewitness in Mogadishu’s Warta Nabada neighborhood advised VOA that a number of rounds of shells landed close to the presidential palace.
A police officer confirmed the assault to VOA however declined to offer particulars on casualties.
Al-Shabab claimed accountability and mentioned it had shelled the palace with seven mortar rounds.
Meanwhile, within the city of Jowhar, the capital of Somalia’s Hirshabele state, a bomb blast close to a lodge that al-Shabab attacked final month wounded no less than 5 individuals, together with a soldier, two kids and two ladies. No one has claimed accountability.
Ibrahim Ali Nur, an area journalist within the city, spoke with VOA and mentioned the explosion destroyed a number of properties. Jowhar is an agricultural city situated 90 kilometers north of Mogadishu.
