SEARCH

UPDATE 1-Somalia prime minister retains finance, foreign ministers in new cabinet

20 Oct 2020 / 03:34 H.

    (Adds details, background)

    MOGADISHU, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Somalia's Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble retained finance minister Abdirahman Duale Bayle in a reshuffled cabinet of 27 announced on Monday.

    Bayle, who has held the position since 2017, has been instrumental in steering the Horn of Africa nation closer to securing debt relief from institutions including the World Bank, African Development Bank and the Paris Club of creditor nations, which cancelled $1.4 billion in March.

    Roble's office said in a statement he had also retained Ahmed Ise Awad as foreign affairs minister and Health Minister Fawzia Abikar Nur.

    Roble, appointed in late September, replaced Hassan Ali Khaire, who was sacked in July after a power struggle over whether to delay a national election due next year.

    He also retained Mahdi Mohamed Guled as the deputy prime minister.

    The impoverished Horn of Africa nation has been racked by civil war since 1991, but the fragile, internationally backed government is slowly building institutions despite an insurgency by al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh, writing by George Obulutsa, editing by Chris Reese)

    Clickable Image

    email blast